Red Lobster, Airbnb Get Boost From Beyoncé on Super Bowl Weekend

Red Lobster says it's sure a mention in Beyoncé's new song is responsible for at least part of its sales jump.

Red Lobster says it's feeling the "Beyoncé Bounce."

The seafood chain known for its cheddar biscuits says sales surged 33 percent on Sunday, compared with last year's Super Bowl Sunday. The increase came after the release of "Formation," in which Beyoncé says she took a man to Red Lobster after sex. Red Lobster says it's sure the mention is responsible for at least part of its sales jump.

The pop culture spotlight is no doubt a welcome change for Red Lobster, which was sold by Darden Restaurants in July of 2014 after it suffered ongoing declines in sales. The chain, which is now privately held by investment firm Golden Gate Capital, says it has posted sales gains every quarter since the separation.

And after the mention by Beyoncé, it says it was also a trending topic on Twitter for the first time.

"It's clear that Beyoncé has helped create some Red Lobster fans, and we are very grateful to her for that," Red Lobster CEO Kim Lopdrup said in a statement.

Erica Ettori, a Red Lobster representative, said she could not "confirm or deny" whether the chain has reached out to superstar, but noted that things were "moving fast."

Regardless, the chain is already trying to make the most of its moment. It tweeted that, "'Cheddar Bey Biscuits' has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" The chain is also noting that lobster is considered a romantic food.

Red Lobster, based in Orlando, Florida, has more than 700 locations in the U.S. and Canada.

Another brand also enjoyed some attention from the star over the Super Bowl weekend. Beyoncé posted a photo on Facebook of herself relaxing on a couch, captioned, "It was a Super weekend Airbnb."

 
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It was a Super weekend Airbnb

Posted by Beyoncé on Monday, February 8, 2016

Beyoncé reportedly stayed at a $10,000-a-night 12-acre estate in the Los Altos Hills of California with stunning views of the San Francisco Bay Area.

The online rental company would not confirm or deny if Beyoncé paid to stay as a guest or was endorsing the company, citing guest privacy rules. But Airbnb released a statement with a playful nod toward one of her hits.

"We’re huge fans of Beyoncé, we’re thrilled to see her Facebook post and hope she was crazy in love with her Airbnb listing,” Airbnb said. 

Elizabeth Arakelian contributed to this report. 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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