Red Lobster Suddenly Shuts Down Over 50 Restaurants Including NJ, NY Locations

Ugh. I guess we should have seen this coming with the recent announcement of financial woes.

Popular seafood chain, Red Lobster, has suddenly shut down over 50 locations out of the over 600 locations across the U.S. It happened yesterday (Monday, May 13th), shocking restaurant staff and customers.

Unfortunately, Mercer County, New Jersey was not spared in the closings. The Lawrenceville location, on Route 1 South, across from Quaker Bridge Mall, was one of the restaurants that shut down, according to the NY Post.

The other New Jersey locations that were abruptly closed include:

- East Brunswick, NJ

- Bridgewater, NJ

- Ledgewood, NJ

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In New York, shuttered locations include Lakewood, Buffalo, Amherst, Williamsville, Rochester, Poughkeepsie, Stony Brook, Kingston, Scarsdale, and Nanuet.

Some workers were greeted by a sign on the door of their restaurant that said, "We look forward to serving you at another Red Lobster in the future."

Other workers weren't even told by management but by co-workers instead.

I had filled you in recently that Red Lobster was in some financial trouble and may file for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection.

Like many restaurants post-pandemic, the chain is having a hard time being profitable these days with high leases, lack of employees, and the rising prices of food and products.

The company reported a $12.5 million loss in Quarter 4 of 2023.

Third quarter losses were partially blamed on the restaurant's "Endless Shrimp" deal. Now, the price has been increased and it's been added to the permanent menu to help make up for some of the losses.

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