Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun on Lessons from Waiting Tables and Meeting Warren Buffett
Damola Adamolekun, the 37-year-old CEO of Red Lobster, reflects on his journey from waiting tables in high school to leading the struggling seafood chain out of bankruptcy. Born in Nigeria and raised in Zimbabwe, the Netherlands, and the U.S., Adamolekun studied finance at Brown and Harvard Business School, where he met Warren Buffett. After working at Goldman Sachs and Paulson & Co., he became CEO of P.F. Chang's at age 31. In 2024, he was brought in to turn around Red Lobster after its 'endless shrimp' promotion caused an $11 million quarterly loss and led to bankruptcy. His strategy includes closing over 100 locations, simplifying the menu, investing in maintenance, and adopting AI to improve operations. He emphasizes that the core of the business is delivering a memorable guest experience through human connection.
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