‘Red Robin did nothing wrong’: Gee defends burger chain, blames COVID-19 as Red Robin shutters 70 locations

Red Robin, a national casual dining chain that specializes in burgers, closed 23 locations last year and expects another 20 to close this year as the company works through a broader plan to cut costs and pay down debt.

Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin, co-hosts of “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio, wondered what has happened to one of the country’s most beloved restaurant chains as it plans to shutter 70 locations over the next five years.

“What’s happened to Red Robin?” Ursula asked. “I’ve always thought of Red Robin as the bee’s knees, and I love the endless fries with their special seasoning, and guacamole burger, no doubt, my favorite. Like, what is happening?”

“Nothing. Red Robin did nothing wrong,” Gee responded. “Red Robin has good burgers, they have bottomless fries, they have everything you need. Their burgers didn’t go down, same with their service. I love Red Robin. As for what happened, I’ll say something some of you may have heard growing up. Kids would be like, ‘I want McDonald’s,’ and the parents would say, ‘I can make McDonald’s at home.'”

Gee points to a pandemic-era shift in how people cook at home

Gee explained why he believes that the COVID-19 pandemic, which kept people in their homes, forced people to refine their skills in the kitchen and provided consumers with confidence for cooking what they used to eat out at home.

“What has happened is, and this is the truth, there are people at home that are making really good food these days,” Gee said. “COVID has forced people into thinking, ‘I can make it. I might not be Red Robin, but my burgers are pretty good.’ People are learning how to make burgers themselves. It’s either a family of four goes to Red Robin, or they stay home with the fancy griddle or new grill. Make some smash burgers. People can make burgers really well at home. That’s what happened.”

A listener texted into the show and wrote that her local Red Robin in Tacoma was less than satisfactory, stating the food is “not good anymore,” and the service is “horrible.” She has stopped going to Red Robin altogether.

“It’s the quality of the burgers. It’s not good, it’s not,” KIRO producer Andrew Lanier said. “They’re one of those places where nine out of ten times they’re not going to salt the patty. I’m serious. I’ve never had a burger at Red Robin where they toasted the bun, and the burger came out warm. It just hasn’t happened. Even their bottomless fries, people like them because they’re bottomless, but it takes an hour to get a refill, and they’re not that good to begin with.”

There are 31 Red Robin restaurants across Washington, including locations in Kent, Olympia, Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Wenatchee, and Yakima. The chain has not publicly listed the specific locations in the official disclosures, as of this reporting.

Contributing: Frank Sumrall, MyNorthwest

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.