Red Lobster’s new 35-year-old CEO says its endless shrimp promotion stressed out workers

Diane BradyBy Diane BradyExecutive Editorial Director, Fortune Live Media and author of CEO Daily
Diane BradyExecutive Editorial Director, Fortune Live Media and author of CEO Daily

Diane Brady is an award-winning business journalist and author who has interviewed newsmakers worldwide and often speaks about the global business landscape. As executive editorial director of the Fortune CEO Initiative, she brings together a growing community of global business leaders through conversations, content, and connections. She is also executive editorial director of Fortune Live Media and interviews newsmakers for the magazine and the CEO Daily newsletter.

Joey AbramsBy Joey AbramsAssociate Production Editor
Joey AbramsAssociate Production Editor

    Joey Abrams is the associate production editor at Fortune.

    Damola Adamolekun wear a white button up and glasses and smiles while looking to his left.
    Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun stealthily visited restaurant locations to try the food and speak with employees and guests.
    Courtesy of RL Investor Holdings

    Good morning. 

    As a 15-year-old waitress at Ponderosa, I dreaded the all-you-can-eat fish fry. Combined with cheap beer, it made our no-tipping family restaurant a magnet for some rowdy crowds on a Friday night. You try stopping a bunch of high school football players from flinging fish into each other’s mouths. Our manager, Vince, thought it was hilarious. In fact, he played on one of the teams. 

    So I wasn’t surprised to learn about the financial carnage induced by Red Lobster’s “endless shrimp” promotion. But I’m also heartened to hear its new CEO Damola Adamolekun, 35, cite the stress on servers as one reason to end this culinary chaos. You’re a better leader than Vince was, sir.  

    What makes someone productive and happy at work varies by personality and profession. What we do know, says Indeed CEO Chris Hyams, is that AI will change every job. Check out my recent conversation with him as part of Deloitte’s Next Generation CEO program. (Deloitte sponsors this newsletter.) I also met with two CEOs this week who have very different views on the question of remote vs. in-person work.  

    California-based Bitwarden CEO Michael Crandell notes that the password management company has always been fully remote. “It’s actually more difficult to run a hybrid model than it is to be all in-person or all remote,” he told me over video call, arguing remote collaboration is better for flow. “It takes you 15 minutes to get your thoughts assembled and you’re working on something, and somebody knocks and says, ‘Hey, how about a burger for lunch?’ And you’re ripped out of that state and now you need another 15 minutes.” 

    Pure Storage CEO Charlie Giancarlo, who came to visit me in-person, has a different view. “Basically, I want us all back in the office,” says Giancarlo. “As I explained to people, we’re a team sport. If you play individual sports, you can practice all by yourself. But things get missed when people are not in the office. Batons are dropped. It’s not about balance. It’s about the optimal way to build your career.”  

    I tend to agree and am looking forward to some team karaoke or ax-throwing after we all get through an event-packed few weeks that start on Monday with the Fortune COO Summit and then move to the Fortune Impact Initiative, the Fortune Most Powerful Women gathering, a Fortune CEO Forum in London, and finally our flagship Fortune Global Forum in November. And when the boss comes along for some all-you-can-eat bites, odds are high that no food will fly. 

    More news below. 

    Diane Brady
    diane.brady@fortune.com
    Follow on LinkedIn

    TOP NEWS

    Top CEO worries

    CEOs are keeping a close eye on the Middle East as a conflict between Israel and Iran grows, but the cofounders of consulting company Prism don't think there's reason for panic yet. Instead, they think executives should refocus on domestic issues like the Trump-proposed tariffs. Fortune

    U.S. debt, mapped

    Government debt is top of mind for voters heading into the November election, and in the U.S. that debt has doubled in the past 10 years. Fortune's Nicolas Rapp charts how U.S. debt compares to that of other countries. Fortune 

    Nvidia's 'insane' demand

    Nvidia shares were up over 3% on Thursday after CEO Jensen Huang emphasized the "insane" demand for the chipmaker's new Blackwell chips. The company also announced a partnership with professional services firm Accenture this week to promote AI adoption. Fortune

    AROUND THE WATERCOOLER

    This is the web version of CEO Daily, a newsletter of must-read global insights from CEOs and industry leaders. Sign up to get it delivered free to your inbox.