Red Lobster revamps menu to attract more diners

NEW YORK - Red Lobster is hoping to broaden its appeal by revamping its menu on Oct. 15 to boost the number of dishes that cater to diners who don't want seafood. They include lighter options such as salads.

Red Lobster also is increasing the number of dishes that cost less than $15 to attract customers who have cut back on spending.

The chain, owned by Darden Restaurants, says a quarter of the items on its menu will be non-seafood dishes, up from 8 percent. And the number of lower-cost entrees will rise to about 60 percent from 40 percent.

After a long streak of healthy growth that began in the late 1980s, the casual dining segment has struggled to grow in the past few years.  At Red Lobster, restaurant traffic has dropped in 12 of the past 24 months.