Red Lobster is stretching its well-loved Cheddar Bay Biscuits into longer Cheddar Bay Breadsticks on Monday.
But fans of the iconic biscuits need not fear—the new shape will be served for one day only and at just one restaurant in New York City’s Times Square location between the hours of noon and 7 p.m.
“We’ve won over the hearts and stomachs of our guests for more than 30 years with Cheddar Bay Biscuits and it got us thinking—why isn’t there more Cheddar Bay in the world,” Sara Bittorf, chief experience officer at Red Lobster, said in a statement. “So, we’re introducing a whole new level of ‘dough-liciousness’ to the table and have no doubt our new Cheddar Bay Breadsticks will rise to the occasion.”
Orlando, Florida-based Red Lobster is calling the change a “biscuit surprise” rather than an April Fool’s joke, but the idea sounds like it may have staying power. Breadstick-shaped biscuits are better for dunking in scampi, melted butter and Alfredo sauce—all widely used ingredients on the menu.
Cheddar Bay Biscuits are an immensely popular Red Lobster signature; the chain serves up more than 350 million each year, according to its website. And for guests dining in, the warm, cheesy biscuits have long been free and unlimited—a much lower food cost than 2023’s all-you-can-eat shrimp deal that boosted traffic but lost the chain millions.
For carryout orders, every entrée comes with two warm biscuits at no charge, but customers can order more for a small price. They are also sold at retail for home cooks, both as a biscuit mix and in frozen ready-to-bake form. Plus, there are Cheddar Bay Biscuit-coated frozen shrimp and cod.
So maybe it’s time to add Cheddar Bay Breadsticks to the permanent lineup the other 364 days of the year.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.