Red Robin shakes up menu with a wine shake
Milkshake lovers now have an excuse to toast before slurping — the wine shake is in motion.
Red Robin, which two years ago claimed to be the first national restaurant chain to roll out beer shakes, now is turning to wine shakes as something a bit more sophisticated, expensive and, perhaps, buzzworthy.
It’s just beginning to sell the Mango Moscato Wine Shake — made with wine, vodka, mango purée and vanilla soft serve — at its 480 U.S. locations.
They aren’t cheap. The shakes, mostly targeting 35- to 49-yearold moms in need of a break, sell for $7.49. That’s about a buck less than many of the chain’s gourmet burgers. Denny Marie Post, chief marketing officer, says it’s about Red Robin “continuing to stay on the leading edge of fun trends.”
It’s also about luring in customers. The restaurant industry in general — and casual dining in particular — has had a rough go the past several years as the economy has wobbled.
Beyond price-cutting, one of the best ways to attract customers is with gee-whiz products that aren’t widely available elsewhere — even if most customers don’t buy them. It’s also a matter of timing. Spring is when many restaurants begin to roll out limitedtime cold beverages for summer. Red Robin is making a mark with its alcohol-infused shakes. Two years ago, it rolled out the $5.29 O’Fest Beer Shake. And it has more wine shakes on tap.
“These products are more for show than for blow,” says Gary Stibel, CEO of New England Consulting Group, which consults on the restaurant business. “It’s badge value for them.” Because the wine shakes are unique, he says, they’re also prime fodder for social-media buzz.
But objections already are being raised by at least one alcoholic beverage industry watchdog group. “It’s alcohol on training wheels,” says Bruce Lee Livingston, executive director of Alcohol Justice. “It’s an attempt to get a younger market drinking.”
Not at all, Post says. The alcoholic shakes appear in a separate section of the menu dubbed “Adults Only Boozy Shakes.” Customers have to be at least 21 to order them and will be carded, she says. And the drinks are not served in conventional milkshake glasses but in smaller cocktail glasses.
“We’re not a big party restaurant,” Post says. “But for a mom to enjoy a wine shake with a burger is reasonable — and fun. It won’t be one of our highestselling items, but there will be people who love it.”
Among them: Stibel, the consultant. “These things are outrageously good,” he says.
That bothers Livingston, the alcohol industry watchdog: “They’re just trying to find ways to get people to consume more alcohol. It’s about the money.”