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CNN Saturday Morning News

New York Landmark

Aired July 26, 2003 - 09:49   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: New York is filled with landmarks, from the Statue of Liberty to Grand Central Station, and, of course, Broadway. But now there's something new. Our own Anderson Cooper, making his return to CNN SATURDAY MORNING for a tour of New York's latest crustacean -- I mean creation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New York's Great White Way is proud to present the newest production on Broadway.

JEFF TATTERSALL, GENERAL MANAGER: Now, let's have a great day. Think about our number one job is to make people feel good. OK? Make people feel good. Have a great show! (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

COOPER: But this is no theater, and these are not actors. Well, they may want to be actors, but right now, they're waiters.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello! hello!

COOPER: Welcome to Times Square's newest attraction, a three- story, 400-seat Red Lobster Restaurant, the first and only Red Lobster in New York City.

TATTERSALL: Times Square is the crossroads of the world. Millions of people from around the world visit here every week, every day, every year. We kind of see this as our billboard to America.

COOPER: Ten thousand people applied to work at this Red Lobster. Some 300 were chosen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My job, to make you feel at home.

COOPER: And all of them seem like very, very perky people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's, like, being as energetic as possible. Am I over the top? Is my energy there? Am I making you feel like I'm treating you as number one (UNINTELLIGIBLE), number one guest, number one person, just as if you're feeling like you're just total -- there's nobody else and it's all about you?

GRETCHEN BIEBER, WAITRESS: I guess they saw in me some sort of energy and upbeatness that, you know, I just -- basically, I'll do whatever it takes for Red Lobster to keep the quality that they need for all of our guests. COOPER: The folks at Red Lobster have come up with a new marketing campaign, "Share the Love." That's the slogan, fitting, perhaps, for Times Square, where in days gone by, a lot of love was shared in peep shows and porn palaces.

Times Square has seen plenty of crabs. Perhaps it's finally ready for this red crustacean.

TATTERSALL: The breaking of the shell is a metaphor for human connection, as people seek to break through their outer shell. And seafood is traditionally shareable seafood. The shrimp, you know, cracking of the lobster, passing it around, it kind of brings everybody together. It's our way, in the seafood, to bring everybody together, to share the love.

COOPER: What? Let's hear that one again.

TATTERSALL: The breaking of the shell is a metaphor for human connection...

COOPER: Wow. Lobster as metaphor. These people don't mess around. Anyway, the place is packed, and the customers seem happy.

DEBBIE DOWELL, CUSTOMER: There's something about getting into your food with your hands, you know, that -- it's a little more down- home.

COOPER: But this is New York, and not everyone is so thrilled.

JOE QUEENAN, AUTHOR, "RED LOBSTER, WHITE TRASH, AND THE BLUE LAGOON": Eating in a Red Lobster in New York City is like going to the Louvre to see paintings of dogs playing poker.

COOPER: Well, New Yorkers are survivors. They survived "King Kong," after all. No doubt they'll survive the Red Lobster too.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired July 26, 2003 - 09:49   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: New York is filled with landmarks, from the Statue of Liberty to Grand Central Station, and, of course, Broadway. But now there's something new. Our own Anderson Cooper, making his return to CNN SATURDAY MORNING for a tour of New York's latest crustacean -- I mean creation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New York's Great White Way is proud to present the newest production on Broadway.

JEFF TATTERSALL, GENERAL MANAGER: Now, let's have a great day. Think about our number one job is to make people feel good. OK? Make people feel good. Have a great show! (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

COOPER: But this is no theater, and these are not actors. Well, they may want to be actors, but right now, they're waiters.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello! hello!

COOPER: Welcome to Times Square's newest attraction, a three- story, 400-seat Red Lobster Restaurant, the first and only Red Lobster in New York City.

TATTERSALL: Times Square is the crossroads of the world. Millions of people from around the world visit here every week, every day, every year. We kind of see this as our billboard to America.

COOPER: Ten thousand people applied to work at this Red Lobster. Some 300 were chosen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My job, to make you feel at home.

COOPER: And all of them seem like very, very perky people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's, like, being as energetic as possible. Am I over the top? Is my energy there? Am I making you feel like I'm treating you as number one (UNINTELLIGIBLE), number one guest, number one person, just as if you're feeling like you're just total -- there's nobody else and it's all about you?

GRETCHEN BIEBER, WAITRESS: I guess they saw in me some sort of energy and upbeatness that, you know, I just -- basically, I'll do whatever it takes for Red Lobster to keep the quality that they need for all of our guests. COOPER: The folks at Red Lobster have come up with a new marketing campaign, "Share the Love." That's the slogan, fitting, perhaps, for Times Square, where in days gone by, a lot of love was shared in peep shows and porn palaces.

Times Square has seen plenty of crabs. Perhaps it's finally ready for this red crustacean.

TATTERSALL: The breaking of the shell is a metaphor for human connection, as people seek to break through their outer shell. And seafood is traditionally shareable seafood. The shrimp, you know, cracking of the lobster, passing it around, it kind of brings everybody together. It's our way, in the seafood, to bring everybody together, to share the love.

COOPER: What? Let's hear that one again.

TATTERSALL: The breaking of the shell is a metaphor for human connection...

COOPER: Wow. Lobster as metaphor. These people don't mess around. Anyway, the place is packed, and the customers seem happy.

DEBBIE DOWELL, CUSTOMER: There's something about getting into your food with your hands, you know, that -- it's a little more down- home.

COOPER: But this is New York, and not everyone is so thrilled.

JOE QUEENAN, AUTHOR, "RED LOBSTER, WHITE TRASH, AND THE BLUE LAGOON": Eating in a Red Lobster in New York City is like going to the Louvre to see paintings of dogs playing poker.

COOPER: Well, New Yorkers are survivors. They survived "King Kong," after all. No doubt they'll survive the Red Lobster too.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com