NEW YORK — Red Lobster says it’s feeling the “Beyonce Bounce.”
The seafood chain known for its cheddar biscuits says sales surged 33 percent Sunday from a year ago. The increase came after the release of “Formation,” in which Beyonce says she took a man to Red Lobster after sex. Red Lobster says it’s sure the mention is responsible for at least part of its sales jump.
The pop culture spotlight is no doubt a welcome change for Red Lobster, which was sold by Darden Restaurants in July of 2014 after it suffered ongoing declines in sales. The chain, which is now privately held by investment firm Golden Gate Capital, says it has posted sales gains every quarter since the separation.
After the mention by Beyonce, it says it was also a trending topic on Twitter for the first time.
“It’s clear that Beyonce has helped create some Red Lobster fans, and we are very grateful to her for that,” Red Lobster CEO Kim Lopdrup said in a statement.
Erica Ettori, a Red Lobster representative, said she could not “confirm or deny” whether the chain has reached out to superstar, but noted that things were “moving fast.”
Red Lobster, based in Orlando, Fla., has 15 locations in Colorado and more than 700 locations in the U.S. and Canada.
