Dozens of Red Lobster restaurants have abruptly closed across the country and the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Florida on Sunday.
As of Wednesday morning, the company's website lists 99 locations closed across 28 states, with some of them having their kitchen equipment auctioned off on an online restaurant liquidator last week. That is an additional 12 locations than previously reported by USA TODAY.
The liquidator, TAGeX Brands, announced last week it was auctioning off equipment from 48 locations that have closed. The website said that each winner would receive the "entire contents of the Red Lobster location they bid on."
The company's bankruptcy filing in the Middle District of Florida details how Red Lobster has struggled in various ways, including a 30% drop in guests since 2019. In a 124-page document obtained by USA TODAY on Tuesday, Red Lobster CEO Jonathan Tibus explains why the seafood restaurant chain filed for bankruptcy on Sunday and why he supports 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 ill-advised strategic initiatives, and increased competition within the restaurant industry," Tibus said in the bankruptcy document.
Here's what we know about the closures, including a state-by-state breakdown of closed locations.
Red Lobster closings map:Red Lobster closings dot the country. We mapped out where all 99 are located.
Will America lose Red Lobster?Changing times bring sea change to menu, history, outlook
Each of these restaurants are currently listed as temporarily closed on the website. Click on the state to see locations in that 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 |
Thai Union Group − which is based in Thailand − has been the largest shareholder since 2020, owning 49% of the company. Darden Restaurants originally sold off Red Lobster to private equity firm Golden Gate Capital in 2014 for about $2.1 billion.
Contributing: Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at [email protected].
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