I owe a lot to Red Lobster. The seafood restaurant employed me through four years of college, keeping me fed—putting on a freshman 15 is no myth—and paying my rent as I made my way back and forth between the Maple Grove and St. Cloud locations as a server.
I like to say, “For better or worse, you don’t truly know how to work with people until you’re a waiter.” For me, it was mostly for the better.
In a way, Red Lobster was a home to me during some very pivotal years. It provided a niche of stability, as I made some of my closest friends and connections in those walls.
But those same walls now have a very different look, as the Maple Grove location, along with eight other Minneapolis locations, has recently gone through an inside-and-out redesign inspired by the seaside village of Bar Harbor, Maine. Among the new features you’ll notice: dark-wood paneling, warm-toned fabrics, soft lighting (smaller, dimmer spotlight fixtures) and nautical décor, including signal flags and seaside artwork.
Although a lot has changed since the days of Hawaiian-style shirt uniforms nearly a decade ago, I was happy to see some of the faces hadn’t. I was able to reconnect with Red Lobster Director of Operations Joe Pancotto, who continues to oversee the local region, including the Maple Grove location. “If you walked in there, Bobby,” Joe said, “you’d definitely say ‘wow, this is different.’ It’s beautiful. It’s just a better atmosphere, I feel.”
I had to see it for myself, recently visiting the restaurant for the first time in years. Joe was right. It had a fresh look to it, with warmer, darker and cozier features. I loved the stone-patterned walls, and the absence of the giant fish that used to hang from them. The bar had a nice granite top and was surrounded by four new flat-screen televisions, a must-have at bars these days. 
I always thought seafood restaurants needed that ocean-side feel, without going overboard (no pun intended). This can be a challenge in Maple Grove, Minnesota. But I must say, inside the doors of the restaurant, you feel like you’re on the harbor, and it’s a classier look than the old wharf-like décor of the past.
A total of 51 Red Lobsters in 10 markets across North America are going through similar redesigns this year. After a 10-week process, slight touch ups are still being finalized in Maple Grove, but otherwise the redesign is pretty much complete. And as someone who used to call Red Lobster home, it’s still one to be proud of.