Red Lobster employees who showed up at 87 locations in 27 states were shocked to learn they no longer had jobs.
The struggling seafood chain, known for its Endless Shrimp deals, abruptly shut down dozens of locations without notice, according to reports.
The popular restaurant chain reported an $11 million quarterly loss in late 2023.
Several Red Lobster restaurants in Georgia have shut down. The company’s website claims the closures are “temporary,” but a liquidator said in a LinkedIn post that they are helping Red Lobster auction off its restaurant equipment.
ABC7 News spoke with former employees who were caught off guard by the closures.
Ramon Garcia (pictured top left) said a restaurant cook called and told him to come in on his day off. Garcia said Red Lobster employees in Western New York were told they had three days to clean out the restaurant.
Other workers reportedly received no notice before they showed up for work to find the doors locked.
Laid off workers took to social media to express their frustration. Many blamed the economy for the closures. Others blamed the declining quality of the food.
I recently went to a red lobster a few months back and noticed the HUGE decline in its food quality. I spoke to the server who informed me that the chain was actually sold to a foreign company who made several changes and the food suffered the most
— Alpha-Bravo (@aburk203) May 14, 2024
The closures come as Red Lobster’s parent company announced it is considering filing for bankruptcy in the coming weeks.
The Florida-based chain is reportedly considering filing a Chapter 11 bankruptcy to downsize its 650 restaurants and restructure its debt, according to CNN.
The following is a list of Red Lobster closures across the country.
Alabama
Auburn
Decatur
California
Redding
Rohnert Park
Sacramento
San Diego
Torrance
Colorado
Denver
Lakewood
Lone Tree
Wheat Ridge
Florida
Altamonte Springs
Gainesville
Hialeah
Largo
Orlando
Georgia
Athens
Roswell
Dublin
Idaho
Lewiston
Illinois
Bloomingdale
Danville
Indiana
Indianapolis
Elkhart
Iowa
Council Bluffs
Waterloo
Maryland
Gaithersburg
Columbia
Silver Spring
Laurel
Michigan
Fort Grant
Mississippi
D’lberville
New York
Amherst
Kingston
Rochester
New Jersey
Ledgewood
North Dakota
Grand Forks
Oklahoma
Lawton
South Carolina
Myrtle Beach
Texas
Lake Jackson
Longview
San Antonio
Virginia
Colonial Heights
Williamsburg
Newport News
Washington
Silverdale
Wisconsin
Wauwatosa
La Crosse
