Why Restaurants Are Leaning On Nostalgia To Win Over Diners

Recently, Red Lobster released a commercial for its $19.99 three-course meal option, something noted as a "big deal." In it, actor Joey Fatone of NSYNC fame notes how he, too, was a very "big deal" back in the year 1999. Around the same time, Chili's released its own commercial for a $6 Radical 'Rita cocktail, starring Tiffani Amber Thiessen, who was a major "It" girl of the '90s, starring in Millennial favorites "Saved By The Bell" and "Beverly Hills 90210." In the ad, she proclaims, "The '90s are back!" Clearly, restaurants are seeing huge business potential by leaning into pop culture nostalgia.

New York public relations strategist Amore Philip told Fox News, "When a restaurant chain brings back items that longtime customers remember fondly, it taps into an emotional connection that goes beyond taste. Food is deeply linked to memories, family moments, and comfort."

Red Lobster, the once-bustling seafood chain, has been in dire straits since filing for bankruptcy in 2024. The new CEO, 36-year-old Damola Adamolekun, is hoping to save the American seafood darling by blending what made Red Lobster great (things like Cheddar Bay biscuits and popcorn shrimp) with new, modern concepts that speak to the newest generation of diners (new menu items at attractive prices). 

Chili's reported a 15% spike in sales since releasing its aforementioned ad in addition to a rise in social media hits; younger diners are filming themselves eating the chain's Triple Dipper platter, with the mozzarella sticks getting most of the attention with their major, camera-worthy cheese pulls. You can test your skills with frozen mozzarella sticks cooked at home.

Red Lobster and Chili's aren't alone in their throwback ventures; Taco Bell released a Y2K menu in the fall of 2025, which featured several options from the mid-90s to the millennium. McDonald's dipped its corporate toe into the days of yore in 2023 when it reintroduced Grimace, the slightly terrifying but lovable purple monster mascot from the 1980s. In 2025, the company introduced McDonaldland Meals, which were sort of like Happy Meals for the grown-ups who grew up on Happy Meals. KFC (or do we call it Kentucky Fried Chicken again?) also brought back '90s-era potato wedges in August.

The inherent pull towards nostalgia is more than a craving for Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos (arguably). At the risk of sounding sappy, I think it takes us back to times that were often simpler, not saturated with such a tumultuous news cycle. Sure, there was plenty of negative news back then, but for many, youth took our attention elsewhere, to better places. Maybe that kind of innocent naivety is what we're all trying to chase.