American seafood chain Red Lobster says it's feeling the "Beyonce Bounce".
The seafood chain known for its cheddar biscuits says sales surged 33 per cent on Superbowl Sunday, after the singer mentioned the chain in new song Formation, which she released over the weekend.
In the song Beyonce 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.
"This has been a remarkable week - we never expected to be such a hot topic of conversation," company ceo Kim Lopdrup said. "We were delighted to learn that Beyonce and her fans loved Red Lobster so much."
Lopdrup said he wasn't aware of the Beyonce song until Red Lobster began trending on Twitter, something he doesn't recall happening before. The restaurant chain, which was acquired by Golden Gate Capital in 2014, had just started its annual Lobsterfest promotion on February 1.
"It's clear that Beyonce has helped create some Red Lobster fans, and we are very grateful to her for that."
Red Lobster has been working to boost growth since it was sold by Darden Restaurants Inc, the owner of Olive Garden, because of slow sales and an aging customer base.
Erica Ettori, a Red Lobster representative, said she could not "confirm or deny" whether the chain had reached out to superstar, but noted that things were "moving fast".
Regardless, Red Lobster was already trying to make the most of its moment. It tweeted: "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 US and Canada.