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Red Lobster seafood restaurant chain was founded in Lakeland, Florida, by Bill Darden (of Darden Restaurants) and Charles Woodsby.
Jennifer SangalangPalm Beach Post
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Though Red Lobster locations have closed in Florida and across the country this month, there are several in the Sunshine State still serving those Cheddar Bay Biscuits.
The company officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Sunday, May 19, a week after several Red Lobster locations abruptly closed. Signs on the door of some Red Lobster locations in Florida and across the country read, "This location is closed. Welook forward to serving you at another Red Lobsterin the future."
According to news reports, the company has an outstanding debt of $294 million, and labor costs and Red Lobster's popular "endless shrimp" promotion eventually led to an $11 million loss in 2023.
The nation’s largest seafood restaurant chain was founded in Lakeland, Florida, by Bill Darden (of Darden Restaurants) and Charles Woodsby.
As of Thursday, May 23, USA TODAY reported Red Lobster has "temporarily closed" 99 restaurant locations in 28 states.
TAGeX Brands, a company that helps firms with closures and liquidations, auctionedoff equipmentrecently from more than 50 Red Lobster restaurants, including five in Florida: Altamonte Springs, Gainesville, Hialeah, Largo and Orlando.
Below are things to know about Red Lobster, the once-popular Florida-based seafood restaurant, the chain's Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and a list of which sites are open and closed in Florida.
Frog legs at Red Lobster? As restaurant locations close, here's a look back at the original menu
Why did Red Lobster file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy?
Red Lobster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy May 19, 2024.
Though the seafood chain filed for bankruptcy, some Red Lobster restaurants will remain open. The move allows the company to stay open while it reorganizes funds to pay off existing debt over time.
"This restructuring is the best path forward for Red Lobster. It allows us to address several financial and operational challenges and emerge stronger and re-focused on our growth. The support we've received from our lenders and vendors will help ensure that we can complete the sale process quickly and efficiently while remaining focused on our employees and guests," CEO Jonathan Tibus said in a statement.
Who founded Red Lobster?Seafood restaurant chainstarted in Florida
Red Lobster was founded in 1968 in Lakeland, Florida, by Bill Darden and Charley Woodsby.
Who owns Red Lobster?
Thai UnionGroup− which is based in Thailand − has been the largest shareholder since 2020, owning 49% of the company.
A brief history of Red Lobster ownership:
- Bill Darden of Darden Restaurants and Charles Woodsby, founder of Texas Cattle Co., opened the first Red Lobster restaurant in 1968 in Lakeland, Florida.
- In 1970, General Mills bought the first five Red Lobster restaurants and created a nationwide chain.
- In 1995, General Mills spun off the chain, creating Darden Restaurants, a publicly traded company. Darden Restaurants operated other chain restaurants, such as Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, the Capital Grille, Seasons 52 and the Yard House.
- In 2014, Darden Restaurants sold Red Lobster to Golden Gate Capital for $2.1 billion in an effort to improve the parent company's financial performance, according to a 2014Florida Times-Union story.
- In 2016, Golden Gate Capital sold 25% of Red Lobster to Thai Union, and then sold its remaining interest in Red Lobster to Thai Union in 2020.
Red Lobster closing? How manyRed Lobster restaurants in Florida closed?
A week before Red Lobster officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the seafood chain listed more than 60 restaurant locations in 49 Florida cities on its website. Each has a page listing a local restaurant’s hours. A search of the Red Lobster website had locations in these cities listed as “Closed” or "Temporarily Closed" under its hours for all days of the week as of Thursday, May 23, 2024:
- Red Lobster, 340 W. SR 436, Altamonte Springs
- Red Lobster, 13090 City Station Drive, Jacksonville
- Red Lobster, 416 Commerce Center Drive, Jacksonville
- Red Lobster, 8720 Baymeadows Road, Jacksonville
- Red Lobster, 3162 S. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach Shores
- Red Lobster, 6910 W. Newberry Road, Gainesville
- Red Lobster, 1750 W. 49th St., Hialeah
- Red Lobster, 3544 N.W. Federal Highway, Jensen Beach
- Red Lobster, 4010 W. Vine St., Kissimmee
- Red Lobster, 10500 E. Ulmerton Road, Largo
- Red Lobster, 10010 U.S. 441, Leesburg
- Red Lobster, 3552 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando
- Red Lobster, 8003 Golden Sky Lane, Orlando
- Red Lobster, 7373 W. Colonial Drive, Orlando
- Red Lobster, 20 Towne Center Circle, Sanford
- Red Lobster, 2625 E. Busch Blvd., Tampa
- Red Lobster, 17021 Palm Pointe Drive, Tampa
Red Lobster near me? Which Red Lobster restaurants in Florida are still open?
As of Thursday, May 23, 2024, many restaurant locations in Florida still appear open onRed Lobster's website.
- Red Lobster, 700 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach, 561-752-8025
- Red Lobster, 5711 14th St. West, Bradenton, 941-756-1814
- Red Lobster, 2604 W. Brandon Blvd., Brandon, 813-654-0010
- Red Lobster, 26320 U.S. 19th North, Clearwater, 727-799-3816
- Red Lobster, 2475 S. Highway 27, Clermont, 352-243-4620
- Red Lobster, 2000 University Drive, Coral Springs, 954-752-6131
- Red Lobster, 2625 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, 386-255-7596
- Red Lobster, 1695 NW 87th Ave., Doral, 305-392-5552
- Red Lobster, 5950 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, 954-491-3030
- Red Lobster, 3801 Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers, 239-936-8216
- Red Lobster, 6401 Darter Court, Fort Pierce, 772-461-4336
- Red Lobster, 326 Miracle Strip Parkway SW, Fort Walton Beach, 850-664-2700
- Red Lobster, 2900 Oakwood Blvd., Hollywood, Florida, 954-924-1550
- Red Lobster, 3706 North Road 98, Lakeland, 863-815-0774
- Red Lobster, 6638 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth, 561-433-1434
- Red Lobster, 5690 Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, Kissimmee, 407-396-6997
- Red Lobster, 7780 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, Kissimmee, 321-677-0191
- Red Lobster, 2847 W. U.S. 90, Lake City, 386-758-0044
- Red Lobster, 2355 W. New Haven Ave., Melbourne, 321-676-5111
- Red Lobster, 215 E. Merritt Island Causeway, Merritt Island, 321-453-3520
- Red Lobster, 11550 SW 88th St., Miami, 305-273-0625
- Red Lobster, 13300 Biscayne Blvd., North Miami, 305-895-6095
- Red Lobster, 3393 S.W. College Road, Ocala, 352-237-1291
- Red Lobster, 32 Blanding Blvd., Orange Park, 904-272-6357
- Red Lobster, 5936 International Drive, Orlando, 407-351-9313
- Red Lobster, 9892 International Drive, Orlando, 407-363-0399
- Red Lobster, 617 N. Alafaya Trail, Orlando, 407-249-4141
- Red Lobster, 910 E. 23rd St., Panama City, 850-785-5566
- Red Lobster, 5110 N. 9th Ave., Pensacola, 850-477-7667
- Red Lobster, 296 N. University Drive, Pembroke Pines, 954-432-8500
- Red Lobster, 803 S. University Drive, Plantation, 954-424-0406
- Red Lobster, 1331 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte, 941-625-7745
- Red Lobster, 8909 U.S. 19, Port Richey, 727-859-9600
- Red Lobster, 721 U.S. 27, Sebring, 863-382-2200
- Red Lobster, 2328 Commercial Way, Spring Hill, 352-686-5207
- Red Lobster, 6151 34th St. North, St. Petersburg, 727-527-7302
- Red Lobster, 2583 N. Monroe St., Tallahassee, 850-385-1136
- Red Lobster, 11601 N. Dale Mabry, Tampa, 813-962-8187
- Red Lobster, 3830 Wedgewood Lane, The Villages, 352-751-1482
- Red Lobster, 2201 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd., West Palm Beach, 561-686-6237
- Red Lobster, 230 Cypress Garden Blvd., Winter Haven (near Orlando), 863-294-8844
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her onTwitteror Instagram at@byjensangalang. Support local journalism.Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
