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Red Lobster Fires Up Wood Grills Nationwide

Iconic seafood brand raises culinary bar, emphasizing commitment to fresh, delicious seafood

ORLANDO, Fla., November 11, 2008 /PRNewswire/ — Today Red Lobster launches Wood-Fire Grilling at all its restaurants, introducing the culinary art form to Middle America. The initiative is the largest systemic change in Red Lobster's history and is the second step in a three-phased plan to renew growth at the iconic seafood brand. Wood-Fire Grilling creates a clean, crisp flavor that naturally enhances the taste of seafood, emphasizing Red Lobster's commitment to fresh, delicious seafood prepared with culinary expertise.

"This is the most comprehensive culinary and menu change in Red Lobster's history," said Red Lobster President Kim Lopdrup. "Wood-Fire Grilling introduces our guests to a whole new way to enjoy seafood."

"We're grilling food over oak because of the crisp, clean flavor it provides," said Red Lobster's Senior Executive Chef Michael LaDuke. "Fresh fish and seafood are delicious in their purest form, and Wood-Fire Grilling really enhances those flavors. The fresh, natural flavor makes the heart-healthy benefits of fish even more appealing."

In developing Wood-Fire Grilling, Red Lobster studied consumer preferences for more than 17 cooking methods, conducted more than 30 focus groups and tested Wood-Fire Grills in 36 restaurants for more than a year. Consumers rated Wood-Fire Grilling as their most preferred cooking method, especially for fresh fish, shellfish, chicken and steak, because it added such an appealing flavor.

The result of the consumer feedback is the new Wood-Fire Grilled menu prepared by Certified Grill Masters at every restaurant. The menu features eight new Wood-Fire Grilled items:

  • Wood-Grilled Lobster, Shrimp and Scallops -- a split Maine lobster tail, skewered jumbo shrimp and sea scallops with a buttery garlic finish
  • Peach Bourbon BBQ Shrimp & Scallops -- wood-grilled jumbo shrimp and bacon-wrapped sea scallops with a sweet peach-bourbon BBQ sauce
  • Wood-Grilled Sirloin & Shrimp -- a lightly seasoned center-cut sirloin and a skewer of jumbo shrimp
  • Wood-Grilled Scallops, Shrimp and Chicken -- skewered sea scallops, jumbo shrimp and a tender chicken breast with a buttery garlic finish
  • Jumbo Shrimp with Lobster Butter -- two skewers of wood-grilled jumbo shrimp topped with a savory lobster butter.
  • Maple-Glazed Chicken -- a wood-grilled chicken breast with a sweet maple and cherry glaze
  • Honey BBQ Grilled Chicken and Shrimp -- a wood-grilled chicken breast and skewered jumbo shrimp with a creamy honey BBQ sauce
  • Peach-Bourbon BBQ Scallops Appetizer -- wood-grilled, bacon-wrapped sea scallops with a sweet peach-bourbon BBQ sauce over thin-cut onion rings

Guests also can choose "wood-grilled" as a preparation for any of the five to eight daily fresh fish species available on Red Lobster's new Today's Fresh Fish menu.

Wood-Fire Grilling is an all-encompassing initiative that also includes new restaurant equipment and specialized training. Rigorous culinary training led to the selection of four to five Certified Grill Masters at every restaurant across North America. Only Certified Grill Masters will prepare grilled items, ensuring guests enjoy consistent, expertly prepared food.

"Every day, in every Red Lobster restaurant, our menu will showcase the name of the Certified Grill Master who is creating food for our guests," said Salli Setta, Executive Vice President of Marketing. "Having the Grill Master's name on the menu is a personal commitment to guests about the high quality and taste of our food."

For more information about Red Lobster's Wood-Fire Grill, please visit www.redlobster.com/woodfiregrill.

About Red Lobster

Nation's Restaurant News recently honored Red Lobster with its prestigious MenuMasters award in the Best Menu/Line Extension category for the company's new Today's Fresh Fish initiative. Red Lobster is the world's largest casual dining seafood restaurant with 680 restaurants across North America. The restaurant serves more than 2.7 million guests a week. For the Red Lobster nearest you, call 1-800-LOBSTER or visit www.redlobster.com.