Things To Do In SW Florida

Red Lobster revealed Monday its “Ultimate Endless Shrimp” promotion is now “here to stay,” following earlier comments from a major shareholder that the seafood chain needed to create a new menu with more value for customers. 

For $20, customers can start with two shrimp dishes and then order more. Options include coconut shrimp, garlic grilled shrimp skewers, garlic shrimp scampi, and other. The meal comes with the customer’s choice of a side as well as Cheddar Bay Biscuits.

Orlando-based Red Lobster recently offered the deal in September, when restaurants were in one of the slowest parts of the year in the weeks after Labor Day, but now the promotion is “available all day, every day,” a news release said.

Red Lobster shareholder Thai Union reported in May it had a “share of profit from operations” for Red Lobster in the first quarter of this year, a turnaround from a loss in the same period last year.

But Thai Union group CFO Ludovic Garnier said on an earnings call there was still a lot of work to be done and Red Lobster needed to make sure it offered good value between big promotions like Ultimate Endless Shrimp because consumers in the United States are sensitive to price. read more

When Ziwei Cong bought some sweatpants that caught her eye during a livestream shopping event on social media, she was disappointed when they arrived and didn’t fit well.

“It’s very easy for me to become irrational during these kinds of shopping events,” says the assistant professor of marketing at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. She adds that the hosts can be very persuasive and hook you with limited- time offers to trigger impulse purchases.

Social shopping, or purchases made through social media sites that sometimes incorporate livestreaming events with influencers, is booming. Almost half of U.S. consumers (47%) say they’ve made a purchase on social media, and 39% say they have bought that way and would do so again, according to 2022 data in a report released in April by the market intelligence agency Mintel.

“Shopping on social media has really taken off more with younger consumers. They’re on their phones more and on social media more often, so it’s easier to purchase via social media when they find a product they like,” says Katie Hansen, senior retail and e-commerce analyst at Mintel and author of the report. read more

Five Central Florida restaurants were temporarily shut down after inspections in the week of June 18-24, according to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Orange County

Lam’s Garden at 2505 E. Colonial Dr. in Orlando shut down on June 19.

There were 28 violations, nine of which were a high priority. Those violations included non-food grade paper used as liner for a food container, rodent activity and a stop-sale issued on food due to temperature abuse.

Officials conducted two more inspections on June 20. On the first inspection, there were 15 violations. On the second inspection, there were 10.

The first inspection featured on high-priority violation for rodent droppings. The second inspection found zero high-priority violations.

The restaurant met inspection standards.

Ta-Ke Sushi And Grill at 1421 N. Orange Ave. in Orlando shut down on June 22.

Officials found 17 violations, three of which were a high priority. Those violations included an unsanitized/broken dish machine, roaches and an employee and server washing their hands with no soap. read more

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Amid peak summer travel, thousands of air travelers faced flight cancellations and delays this weekend and Monday as thunderstorms rolled in across the U.S. East Coast and Midwest.

In addition to bad weather, a technology failing also contributed to to airline disruptions. The Federal Avaiation Adminstration briefly paused operations at Washington, D.C.-area airports Sunday evening due to a problem with the communications system at a major air traffic control facility. Departures resumed after repairs were completed.

Beyond D.C., a chain of flights were also delayed or halted at other major travel hubs — including New York, Chicago and Atlanta — as thunderstorms moved across the country.

Nearly 2,000 U.S. flights were canceled on Saturday and Sunday combined, according to flight tracking service FlightAware, and more than 1,100 U.S. flights had been canceled as of noon ET Monday. Thousands of additional travelers experienced delays.

Staying calm — and knowing your rights — can go a long way if your flight is canceled, experts say. Here’s some of their advice for dealing with a flight cancellation: read more