Red Lobster restaurant a mainstay in Albany for 45 years

ALBANY — In a city that — both figuratively and literally — eats up new restaurants on something of a monthly basis, the Red Lobster restaurant at 2403 N. Slappey Blvd. is something of an anomaly.

In July, the local seafood restaurant celebrated its 45th anniversary in Albany. That’s 45 years in the same location.

Christina Ethier, Red Lobster’s general manager for the past two years, says there’s no big secret to the restaurant’s staying power in Southwest Georgia’s largest city.

“Everyone and everything here is held to a high standard of quality,” Ethier said. “It’s not a new concept by any means, but standard of service is a priority here. We operate under the basic idea that we take care of our guests, we treat them well, and we try to make each meal more than just about the food, make it more of a memorable event.

“From the food, to the service, to the atmosphere, we strive to be the best at what we do.”

And that’s a tall order in a community that boasts dozens and dozens of eating establishments, with new ones — many of them with high name recognition — opening on a regular basis.

“We didn’t take a big hit with the latest round of new places because none of them are seafood restaurants,” said Ethier, a University of Georgia graduate who grew up in Newnan and planned to turn her love for history into a teaching career before discovering she actually enjoyed the restaurant industry. “We’re also in the middle of (through Nov. 13) our endless shrimp promotion. You have no idea how big that is.

“But that’s one of the things this company does. It focuses on our customers and the things that they enjoy. We have six special promotions a year that we use to introduce customers to new types of seafood. That’s one of the things that brings them back.”

The 45th anniversary of the Albany Red Lobster, the 34th restaurant to open under the Orlando-based company’s name, sparked a celebration among the restaurant’s employees, many of whom have shown a level of loyalty not common in the industry. Hostess Doris Mitchell has worked at the seafood restaurant for 40 years, production specialist Gail Vanzant 39 years, and grill master Sharon Mallory 22 years.

“We’re loyal to the company because the company is loyal to us,” Mallory, who started as a fry cook and worked her way up to grill master, said. “They look out for me because they know I’m going to look out for them. I tried other jobs over the years, but I realized that this is where I’m happy.

“I’m an Albany native, and the one thing that I keep in mind while I’m in the kitchen is that I would not serve anything to any customer we have that I wouldn’t serve to my family.”

Waitress Angel Johnson has worked at the local Red Lobster for 10 years.

“I believe in this company and its values,” she said. “I have a job that I enjoy coming to every day.”

Ethier, who worked as restaurant manager at the Albany store before being promoted to general manager of the company’s Perry store, said she jumped at the opportunity to come back to Albany as GM.

“It was an easy decision,” she said. “I enjoyed my time in Albany.”

Ethier noted that, with 700 stores across the United States and Canada and plans to expand into Mexico, South America and the Middle East, Red Lobster’s business plan of bringing in fresh Maine lobster and investing in “aquaculture” practices that guarantees freshness keeps her company positioned to withstand the influx of would-be challengers.

“Personally, I think it’s fantastic to be a part of a business that is continuing to grow,” she said. “Plus, the dorky history major in me loves the history of this place.

“We understand that we’re not the cheapest place in town. But we’re going to give our customers the kind of personalized service that we think they deserve. I think it’s cool that people come in regularly once a month for their ‘big night out,’ that there are others who come in every opportunity they get. We do everything we can to make sure it’s special every time they come.”

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