Saving Seafood

US FTC cautions Red Lobster, other restaurants on their seafood marketing efforts

October 2, 2024 — U.S. Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya recently sent a letter to the top-grossing seafood restaurants in the country, cautioning them not to give their customers the false impression that they are eating wild-caught U.S. seafood when they are, in fact, serving imported, farm-raised seafood.

“Many Americans are willing to pay a premium for wild-caught, American seafood. Those customers deserve to know when they are being offered the genuine article – and when they are being offered something else,” Bedoya said in the letter sent to Red Lobster, Long John Silver’s, and Legal Sea Foods, among other companies.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Continued growth at Long John Silver’s pushes it to expand internationally

March 10, 2022 — Long John Silver’s posted its sixth-consecutive quarter of same-store sales growth, while also scoring record-breaking average unit volumes in 2021.

Despite COVID-19 pressures that pushed its sales down 30 to 40 percent at the start of the pandemic, the Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A.-based operator realized a 2.5 percent increase in sales year-over-year throughout 2020 and 2021, according to the international seafood chain’s recently released its 2021 results.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

Long John Silver’s exec: Plant-based seafood analogs “will be the next big wave”

August 3, 2021 — Long John Silver’s is making history as the first major national seafood chain to embrace plant-based seafood analogs.

Last month, the Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A.-based operator of more than 700 restaurants across the United States announced a partnership with Good Catch, partnering with  a New York City, U.S.A.-based maker of plant-based imitation seafood products. It will trial Good Catch’s Plant-Based Breaded Fish-Free Fillet and Plant-Based Breaded Crab-Free Cake products at five of its restaurants in the U.S. states of California and Georgia.

In an interview with SeafoodSource, LJS Chief Marketing Officer Stephanie Mattingly explained why the restaurant chain is offering plant-based seafood analogs and what its future plans are for the category.

SeafoodSource: Why did LJS want to offer plant-based seafood analogs? How do they align with the company’s values and goals, and operational plans for this year?

Mattingly: We have always believed that our unique seafood experience should be accessible to all. By serving plant-based seafood, we can further that mission by embracing customers who follow plant-based diets. LJS is guided by a vision of fishing smarter with less environmental impact. Our cod, pollock, and salmon are sustainably sourced and wild-caught. Plant-based seafood is a new take on sustainability worth exploring as well.

Read the full story at Seafood Source