Red Lobster files for bankruptcy after dozens of restaurant closures

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What Chapter 11 bankruptcy means

Filing for bankruptcy doesn't always mean the end for an American business.

Facing rising costs and an all-you-can-eat shrimp deal that backfired, Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. 

The seafood restaurant chain said in a court filing late Sunday that it has more than 100,000 creditors and estimated assets between $1 billion and $10 billion, according to the Associated Press. The company's estimated liabilities are between $1 billion and $10 billion.

FILE - A Red Lobster restaurant in Lakewood, California, on May 15, 2024. Photographer: Eric Thayer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The news comes days after the seafood chain closed dozens of U.S. restaurants, including at least five locations in both California and Florida, and four in both Maryland and Colorado. 

The bankruptcy petition was signed by CEO Jonathan Tibus, a corporate restructuring specialist who took the top post at Red Lobster in March.

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Red Lobster closing list

Restaurant liquidator TAGeX Brands announced last week that it would be auctioning off the equipment of over 50 Red Lobster locations that were recently closed. 

The store closures span across more than 20 states. Three restaurants are closing in Georgia, New York, Texas and Virginia, according to the online auction page. 

Other states with listed closures include Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Washington, and Wisconsin. 

In total, Red Lobster has more than 700 locations worldwide, according to its website.

Alabama

  • Auburn
  • Decatur

California

  • Redding
  • Rohnert Park
  • Sacramento
  • San Diego
  • Torrance

Colorado

  • Denver
  • Lakewood
  • Lone Tree
  • Wheat Ridge

Florida

  • Altamonte Springs
  • Gainseville
  • 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 Gratiot

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

LINK: Click here for a list of Red Lobster closures by state on TAGeX Brands auction information page. 

Red Lobster’s financial woes

Red Lobster has been struggling with rising lease and labor costs in recent years, as well as promotions like its iconic shrimp deal that backfired.

Red Lobster’s recent "Ultimate Endless Shrimp" fiasco, in which the chain made the normally-limited promotion a permanent offering in June 2023, overwhelmed restaurants – and reportedly contributed to millions in losses.

Maintaining stability at the Florida chain has also been problematic due to multiple ownership changes over its 56-year history. Earlier this year, Red Lobster co-owner Thai Union Group, one of the world’s largest seafood suppliers, announced its intention to exit its minority investment in the dining chain.

Thai Union first invested in Red Lobster in 2016 and upped its stake in 2020. At the time of the January announcement on its plans to divest, CEO Thiraphong Chansiri said the COVID-19 pandemic, industry headwinds and rising operating costs had hit the dining chain hard and caused "prolonged negative financial contributions to Thai Union and its shareholders."

For the first nine months of 2023, the Thai company reported a $19 million share of loss from Red Lobster.

Red Lobster’s roots date back to 1968, when the first restaurant opened in Lakeland, Florida.

This story was reported from Cincinnati. The Associated Press contributed.