Dozens of Red Lobster restaurants suddenly closed across the United States, and the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Florida on Sunday.
As of Wednesday morning, the company’s website listed 99 closed locations across 28 states, some of which had auctioned off kitchen equipment on an online restaurant liquidation company last week — 12 more than the number of locations previously reported by USA Today.
Liquidator TAGeX Brands announced last week that it would auction off fixtures from 48 closed stores, with the successful bidder receiving “all fixtures from the Red Lobster location they are bidding on,” according to its website.
The company’s bankruptcy filing in the Middle District of Florida details how Red Lobster has struggled on multiple fronts, including a 30% drop in customer numbers since 2019. In a 124-page document obtained by USA Today on Tuesday, Red Lobster CEO Jonathan Tibus explained why the seafood restaurant chain filed for bankruptcy on Sunday and why he stands by the decision.
“Recently, the Debtors have faced a number of financial and operational challenges, including a difficult macroeconomic environment, a bloated and underperforming restaurant footprint, failed or inappropriate strategic initiatives and increased competition within the restaurant industry,” Tibus said in bankruptcy documents.
Here’s what we know about the closures, as well as a state-by-state breakdown of the closed stores.
Red Lobster Closing Map:Red Lobster closures are happening all across the country. We’ve mapped out the locations of all 99 stores.
Will America lose its Red Lobster?Changing times bring big changes to menus, histories and outlooks
Closed Red Lobster stores
These restaurants are currently listed as temporarily closed on their website: Click on a state to see locations in your area or scroll through the list.
Alabama | Arizona | California | Colorado | Florida | Georgia | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Louisiana | Maryland | Michigan | Mississippi | Missouri | New Jersey | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Oklahoma | Pennsylvania | South Carolina | Tennessee | Texas | Virginia | Washington | Wisconsin |
Alabama
Arizona
California
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Louisiana
Maryland
Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
New Jersey
new york
North Carolina
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin
Who owns Red Lobster restaurants?
Thailand-based Thai Union Group has been the company’s largest shareholder, owning 49% of the company, since 2020. Darden Restaurants originally sold Red Lobster to private equity firm Golden Gate Capital in 2014 for about $2.1 billion.
Contributor: Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY
Gabe Haouari is a national trend news reporter for USA Today. You can follow him on X. Gabe Haouari Or email me at Gdhauari@gannett.com.
