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Kingston business owner fights with HBO’s John Oliver after host buys shuttered Red Lobster
The owner of Deising’s Bakery and Restaurant in Kingston told News 12 that HBO host John Oliver came to town and gave the owner lunch.
As soon as Eric Deising heard that nearby Red Lobster was closing, he saw an opportunity to update his business.
“I’m one of the vultures that circled around Red Lobster,” Deising said.
He taped a note to the front door of the Red Lobster on the outskirts of Kingston, asking to buy some of the equipment inside.
“I need a 36-inch flat top grill/oven and a commercial kitchen convection oven if you have them,” he wrote.
He then learned of John Oliver’s latest exploit on his satirical Sunday night program, “Last Week Tonight.”
To close out last Sunday’s show, Oliver discussed winner-take-all auctions for all the contents of Red Lobster restaurants across America.
His fans knew what was coming.
“We participated in a [of the auctions] for the content of this Red Lobster in Kingston, New York, and we [expletive censored] He’s gained everything within him!” Oliver announced to raucous laughter and applause from the studio audience.
If the nearby Red Lobster actually had the items Deising was looking for, it’s clear where they are now.
The ‘Last Week Tonight’ team set up the entire restaurant, including tables, chairs and a lobster tank in the studio.
“John – He’s hitting me everywhere,” Deising said laughing. “Congratulations on your new store.”
Oliver is known for over-the-top stunts. Previously, to highlight the problems with the debt sales and collection industries, Oliver purchased $15 million worth of debt for just $60,000 and then forgave it all.
He also once started a weeks-long fake fight with the entire town of Danbury, Connecticut, which culminated in the town renaming its sewage plant after Oliver, “because it’s full of crap, just like you,” the mayor said. to Oliver.
So what will be the fallout from this week’s Red Lobster segment now that a local business owner has called out the host? And what is Oliver doing with all the contents of the closed restaurant?
“I got into this because I was looking for equipment,” Deising said, addressing Oliver directly. “If you don’t need this – because I don’t think you need it for cookies – let me know.”
Deising also resented the fact that Oliver shared Red Lobster cookies with his audience.
Deising said that for Oliver to make up for purchasing items from the restaurant, he should consider throwing in some of Deising’s famous cookies.
News 12 reached out to HBO to ask what the “Last Week Tonight” team will do with the equipment and furniture they won at that auction and is awaiting a response.
Deising wasn’t the only enemy Oliver made last Sunday.
Oliver said the now-defunct Red Lobster location is in Kington, although it is on the outskirts of Kingston in the town of Ulster, angering city officials.
“If he bought everything in Kingston, he has nothing,” a spokesman for Ulster Town Supervisor James Quigley said by phone Wednesday, “because Red Lobster is in the Town of Ulster.”