Nichole Robillard is a brand cultivator, expert storyteller, and creative strategist, but her journey through the restaurant industry began humbly—at a bar inside a country club during college. From there, she waited tables and managed catering and events. Her career shifted when she took her experience with food and spirits to an advertising agency, where she worked with more than 15 different restaurant brands, driving growth and leading integrated teams.
While advancing her career, Robillard earned three semi-professional culinary certificates and co-owned a farm-to-table destination in Washington, D.C., called Beuchert’s Saloon. Her passion for food, flavor, and trends intersected with a knack for solving operational challenges using data.
“Opening a restaurant of my own was something I always dreamed of doing,” Robillard says. “I have all of these experiences inside and outside the restaurant’s four walls, working with all different personalities and layers of the organization. I’ve learned the power of collaboration at all levels and creating alignment and buy-in, whether you’re a CEO or a junior coordinator. It’s important to create a space where everyone feels invested and engaged.”
In 2021, Robillard was named vice president of marketing for Smokey Bones, where she spearheaded an aggressive turnaround strategy. Soon after, she was promoted to chief marketing officer, launching the award-winning “Meat is What We Do” brand campaign, two virtual food restaurants, a virtual food hall, and a fully digital drive-through. Her focus was elevating the brand through storytelling and partnerships.
“I love helping brands punch above their weight class. I always look for ways to step into a conversation around brand culture or borrow equity through partnerships where it makes sense,” Robillard says. “I love finding places where you can align a brand with something or someone with a shared ethos and spot in the broader societal culture. It has to feel organic, elevate both properties and ideally bring some fun to the table.”
In October 2024, Robillard accepted what she calls a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to join CEO Damola Adamolekun in revolutionizing Red Lobster’s marketing engine. As the company’s newest chief marketing officer, she now oversees marketing, communications, and culinary teams.
The move came during a transformative period for Red Lobster. The 56-year-old legacy brand faced bankruptcy, 150 store closures, executive team restructuring, and a sale to Fortress Investment Group.
Despite these challenges, it still ranked 10th on the FSR Top 30 2024 Report, solidifying its status as one of the largest full-service chains in the U.S. with nearly 650 stores and average unit volumes of $4.2 million.
Robillard is prepared to win back America’s hearts, reactivating Red Lobster’s strengths and putting the chain back at the forefront of consumers’ minds.
“You don’t get the chance to lead the greatest restaurant comeback story of all time very often,” Robillard says. “You would have a hard time finding someone without a fond memory of Red Lobster. The problem is the distance between that last visit and today … we’ve lost top-of-mind awareness, but what we’ve seen so far is that people are rooting for us, and I’m excited to harness and leverage that energy.”
Robillard notes parallels between Red Lobster’s current challenges and the ones she faced at Smokey Bones: an aging core demographic, dated storefronts, and a higher price point for the casual dining category.
“I’m taking a very similar approach [to Red Lobster] because in a lot of ways, I’m dealing with similar bottlenecks, just on a larger scale in terms of restaurant footprint,” Robillard says. “Our marketing charge is to make the brand relevant, compelling, and exciting again. And that’s everything from menu development to the guest experience.”
Red Lobster has long relied on promotional windows like Lobsterfest and Crabfest. Robillard aims not only to revitalize these campaigns but also to reframe the brand’s role in today’s culture and re-establish its identity.
“We have to explore value in a way that means something for our guests and still reflects who we are as a brand. We’re focusing on creating new occasions for our guests by capitalizing on relevant culinary and beverage trends and injecting more fun into our programs,” Robillard says. “Our guests are looking for more than just a special occasion. We already own special occasions, but how can we create those everyday special moments, something little that is worth celebrating that doesn’t require a whole fancy meal and expensive check?”
In her first six months on the job, Robillard has helped launch a new happy hour program, an everyday value menu, and identified several smaller sub-segments of customer bases to tap into, including sports partnerships. She led a significant activation in December by teaming up with ESPN’s 2024 Band of the Year HBCU National Band Championship—a title sponsorship that will continue into 2025.
“It’s time to start a new chapter. We have a team that wants to break outside of the mold and be unconventional, which is rare for a brand with a 50-plus-year history. It’s rare to have a leader who tells us to take our dreams and run with them,” Robillard says. “We have the opportunity to take chances, take big swings, and do things differently to turn this brand into something people want to connect with and be a part of.”
As a founding member of the Women in Restaurant Leadership Advisory Board, Robillard mentors women in the industry, helping them grow their careers. She has seen firsthand the impact of community outreach, networking, and advocacy.
“My story is not one of luck. I set my intentions and I worked like crazy toward them. If you want to grow into a place of power and authority, make sure it’s an industry you want to be a part of. Making an impact on others requires passion and connectivity,” Robillard says. “You can make a difference at every level … I’ve had people in coordinator roles make dramatic impacts on me. I learn something from my team every day, and it’s important to surround yourself with a community of people who challenge you to be better and, most importantly, have fun.”
