Red Lobster is one of the most recognizable seafood restaurant brands in the world, known for its fresh seafood offerings and iconic Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Its longstanding presence and customer loyalty make it a household name in casual dining. Under new ownership and with strong board support, Red Lobster is embarking on an ambitious journey to modernize its technology infrastructure.
In a compelling discussion at Crunchtime’s 2024 Ops Summit about digital transformation in the restaurant industry, Red Lobster's Executive Vice President and CIO Shawn Harrs outlined his strategic vision for leveraging technology to revolutionize operations and enhance customer experience.
Red Lobster is shifting from in-house development to a best-of-breed solution strategy, with Harrs targeting nearly 100% adoption of external solutions within a service-oriented architecture.
"I want to get out of the business of having to build these capabilities when they're more or less a commodity," stated Harrs. This approach, which he dubs "SaaS and Fast," aims to create seamless transitions between platforms for internal customers.
Another way that Red Lobster is modernizing core systems is through the implementation of Crunchtime. The company is investing in Crunchtime’s Inventory Management for its 550 locations.
AI implementation at Red Lobster focuses primarily on two critical areas: guest data analytics and cybersecurity. The company leverages AI for personalized customer engagement through its loyalty program, ensuring offers drive incremental revenue without margin erosion. In cybersecurity, AI tools are being deployed to predict potential attacks, moving beyond traditional security models to ensure business continuity.
A key focus for Red Lobster is democratizing data access across the organization. Harrs emphasized, "The business owns the data, and they should have access to that data whenever they need to answer whatever question they want." To achieve this, Red Lobster is investing in self-service analytics tools that empower teams at all levels—from restaurant managers to corporate decision-makers—to extract insights without relying on IT. By making data more accessible, the company fosters a culture of data-driven decision-making, allowing teams to identify trends, optimize operations, and enhance the guest experience in real time.
Red Lobster's technology transformation under Shawn Harrs's leadership represents a fundamental shift in how the company approaches its technology infrastructure. Red Lobster is positioning itself for enhanced operational efficiency and improved customer experience by embracing cloud solutions, AI capabilities, and best-of-breed platforms. As Harrs noted, "This is not a technology initiative, but making Red Lobster a great place to work initiative," underlining the human-centric approach to this digital transformation.
To learn more about the full session, click here.