Many Floridians know that there are nationally-known chain restaurants that are headquartered in the Sunshine State. Examples are Outback Steakhouse, Olive Garden, and Burger King.
However, one Florida-headquartered nationally-known chain has garnered some attention lately for closing some of its stores, with one of the closures being in Florida.
About Red Lobster: This nationally-known chain was started as a single restaurant in Lakeland, Florida by Bill Darden and Charley Woodsby. If the name “Bill Darden” sounds familiar, Darden also opened Olive Garden in Orlando when he was Vice President of General Mills (who had acquired Red Lobster and hired Darden as a Vice President.)
Neither General Mills nor Darden Restaurants owns Red Lobster today, however. It is owned by Thai Union Group, according to Restaurant Dive.
Today, Red Lobster is headquartered in Orlando, Florida. The company is known for its cheddar bay biscuits, its popular “ultimate feast” seafood offering, and its daily catch, according to Delish reporting in 2019.
The Closings – Including One In Florida: In early 2023, Restaurant Business reported that Red Lobster had closed 8 stores in previous months, with one being in Naples, Florida.
Of the closures, a representative from Red Lobster reportedly wrote in a statement to the publication:
“We regularly review our restaurant portfolios as part of the normal course of business. As a result, we have concluded that these locations are no longer viable for Red Lobster.”
According to Gulfshore Business reporting in late 2022, the Naples Store on Tamiami Trail North was the only location in Collier County. This location had mixed reviews on Yelp, earning 2.5 out of 5 stars. (Another Red Lobster closed in Sarasota in 2021, but it did not count toward the 8 restaurants mentioned above.)
According to the U.S. Sun reporting in September of 2023, despite the 8 previous closures, Red Lobster posted earnings losses for three straight quarters. (Red Lobster has recently noted that it lost money due to its endless shrimp promotion, according to ABC 27.) The Sun also reported 2 additional store closures on top of the 8 reported by Restaurant Business.
According to Scrape Hero, there are 60 Red Lobster locations in Florida, the most of any state.
The author is not affiliated with Red Lobster or any other retailers.
