You might be dreaming of an endless pile of shrimp, but for the people serving it, that dream is a nightmare. Red Lobster just brought back its infamous “Endless Shrimp” promotion, and former servers are sounding the alarm.

‘It’s the time when the most staff quits’

Saul Eugene, who worked at the chain in 2019 and 2020, told Business Insider that during the promotion, diners would “sit there and eat shrimp for two and a half hours.” That turns a standard order into “essentially a 22-course meal” — without a bigger bill to match. The result for employees? More work for less pay.

“You make less money for twice as much work,” Eugene said, calling the experience “hell for servers.”

The tip trap that makes staff quit

Ryan Spalding, who worked at Red Lobster in the late 2000s, said customers would “game the system,” ordering refill after refill, lingering at tables, and trying to take food home against the rules. He noted the special — then $20 — often attracted people who weren’t going to tip and would try to share food. Not exactly the repeat customers the chain wanted.

Eugene said his tip percentage dropped “about 3 or 4 percent” during Endless Shrimp season, even as the job became far more demanding. “You’re already getting stiffed on your labor, then you’re also getting lower tip percentages,” he explained. “It’s demoralizing, and because it’s so demoralizing, it makes people quit the job.”

A deadly combination behind the scenes

The promotion wasn’t just hard on staff — it was a financial disaster. When Red Lobster made it permanent a few years ago, the chain said it cost $11 million in losses in three months. CEO Damola Adamolekun initially told Business Insider he had “no plans” to revisit it. But customer clamor for shrimp, shrimp, and more shrimp led him to reverse course.

A former senior communications executive revealed the deeper problem: after Thai Union acquired the chain in 2016, Red Lobster was required to buy shrimp from its parent company at above-market prices. At the same time, the company increased the size of the shrimp, even though the promotion was built around volume. “The combination of having to purchase it from a supplier who was also your owner, and thus charging you more money than you should be, with its desire to also increase the size of the shrimp… really was a deadly combination,” she said.

What this means for you

The promotion is back for a limited time, available for dine-in only at $24.99 to $29.99. But before you order that endless plate, remember: behind every refill is a server running plate after plate, making less money for twice the work. As Eugene put it, “It is as far from worker-friendly a policy as you can be.”

The revival may deliver a short-term bump for the chain, but for the people who once worked the floor, it’s just a bad memory. “I just feel bad for all the staff there,” Eugene said.