Red Lobster gives away 25 years of free Endless Shrimp and a year of jiu-jitsu classesRed Lobster gives away 25 years of free Endless Shrimp and a year of jiu-jitsu classes

Red Lobster has leaned into increasingly surreal promotional stunts as it works to rebuild its brand after filing for bankruptcy in 2024 and closing dozens of locations. The jiu-jitsu add-on—ostensibly to protect the card—reads as pure internet-bait, a strategy that's clearly aimed at going viral rather than driving foot traffic.

this is red lobster doing the thing where a brand knows it's a meme and leans all the way in. the jiu-jitsu classes are obviously a bit—protect your shrimp card at all costs—but it's working because we're writing about it. red lobster's been on a redemption arc since the bankruptcy and this kind of absurdity is the playbook.