welcom to America today with a new article about Red Lobster website lists 87 locations ‘temporarily closed’ in 27 states: See full list
Red Lobster has abruptly closed dozens of restaurants across the country.
A look at the restaurant chain’s website reveals 87 stores temporarily closed across 27 states, with some of them having their kitchen equipment up for auction on an online restaurant liquidator.
The liquidator, TAGeX Brands, announced Monday it is auctioning off equipment this week from 48 locations that have closed. The website says auctions are live and will end periodically on Thursday, and that each winner will receive the “entire contents of the Red Lobster location they bid on.”
America today reached out to Red Lobster on Tuesday and did not get a response prior to publication.
Here’s what we know about the closures, including where they’re happening and why these restaurants are closing.
Closed Red Lobster locations
Each of these restaurants are currently listed as temporarily closed on the website:
Alabama
Decatur
Huntsville
Mobile
Arizona
Oro Valley
California
Fremont
Montclair
Rohnert Park
Sacramento
San Diego
Torrance
Colorado
Denver
Lakewood
Lone Tree
Wheat Ridge
Florida
Altamonte Springs
Daytona Beach Shores
Gainesville
Hialeah
Jacksonville (Commerce Center Drive)
Jacksonville (Baymeadows Road)
Jacksonville (City Station Drive)
Kissimmee
Largo
Leesburg
Orlando (E. Colonial Dr.)
Orlando (W. Colonial Dr.)
Orlando (Golden Sky Lane)
Sanford
Tampa (East Busch Blvd.)
Tampa (Palm Pointe Dr.)
Georgia
Athens
Dublin
Roswell
Idaho
Lewiston
Illinois
Bloomingdale
Danville
Indiana
Elkhart
Indianapolis (N. Shadeland Ave.)
Iowa
Waterloo
Kansas
Kansas City
Olathe
Louisiana
Bossier City
Maryland
Columbia
Gaithersburg
Laurel
Silver Spring
Mississippi
Jackson
Missouri
Jefferson City
New Jersey
Bridgewater
East Brunswick
Ledgewood
Lawrenceville
New York
Amherst
Buffalo
Kingston
Lakewood
Nanuet
Rochester
Poughkeepsie
Scarsdale
Stony Brook
Williamsville
North Carolina
Burlington
Cary
Durham
Rocky Mount
North Dakota
Grand Forks
Oklahoma
Lawton
Oklahoma City
Stillwater
Pennsylvania
Erie
South Carolina
Myrtle Beach
Tennessee
Memphis
Texas
Dallas (E. Technology Blvd.)
Dallas (Vantage Point Dr.)
Houston
Lake Jackson
Longview
Lufkin
Pasadena
Tyler
Virginia
Colonial Heights
Newport News
Williamsburg
Washington
Silverdale
Wisconsin
La Crosse
Wauwatosa
Red Lobster considered filing for bankruptcy in April
The seafood chain considered filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month in an effort to restructure its debt, according to Bloomberg.
The company had been getting advice from law firm King & Spalding as it looked to shed some long-term contracts and renegotiate leases, Bloomberg reported, noting that Red Lobster’s cash flows had been weighed down by leases and labor costs, among other issues.
Red Lobster suffered big losses with ‘Ultimate Endless Shrimp’ promotion
In 2023, the seafood chain’s “Ultimate Endless Shrimp” deal became more popular than expected, inadvertently becoming a key factor in a $11 million loss in the third quarter.
The limited-time promotional deal, in which guests picked two types of shrimp to enjoy nonstop for $20, landed a permanent spot on Red Lobster menus in June. Red Lobster’s parent company, Thai Union Group, said in November 2023 that the chain was headed toward a $20 million loss for 2023. Now the endless shrimp deal costs $25.
Thai Union Group CFO Ludovic Regis Henri Garnier said in an earnings report call that the company was aware the initial price for the endless-shrimp deal was cheap. The offer was intended to draw customers into restaurants, but orders exceeded expectations, he said.
“We wanted to boost our traffic, and it didn’t work,” Garnier told investors in November 2023, according to Restaurant Business Magazine. “We want to keep it on the menu. And of course we need to be much more careful regarding what are the entry points and what is the price point we are offering for this promotion.”