3 weeks ago
Red Lobster Confirms 17 U.S. Restaurant Closures for 2026
Red Lobster is closing 17 more restaurants in the United States in 2026.
The locations are spread across several states.
The company now has about 540 restaurants, compared with more than 700 before bankruptcy.
Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy in 2024.
It closed more than 100 restaurants that year.
The company had many expensive leases and fewer customers than before.
One restaurant in New York’s Times Square has already closed.
Red Lobster is also trying to attract customers by bringing back its Endless Shrimp promotion.
The article’s list mentions 17 addresses, but it does not include a Huntsville location despite the headline reference.
Red Lobster is set to close 17 U.S. locations in 2026, according to Inc.
The listed closures span New York, Alabama, Florida, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Missouri, Connecticut, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Texas, Minnesota and California.
The chain’s U.S. footprint has declined to about 540 restaurants from more than 700 before its bankruptcy.
Red Lobster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2024 and closed more than 100 restaurants that year.
The company has cited costly leases, lower guest traffic, construction and planned redevelopment among the pressures affecting its restaurants.
- Who
- Red Lobster, the U.S. seafood restaurant chain.
- What
- The company is closing 17 listed restaurant locations in 2026 while continuing to reduce its U.S. footprint.
- Where
- The listed restaurants are in New York, Alabama, Florida, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Missouri, Connecticut, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Texas, Minnesota and California.
- When
- The closures are planned for 2026; Red Lobster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2024.
- Why
- The article cites bankruptcy-related restructuring, expensive leases, lower guest traffic, construction affecting access and planned building redevelopment as factors.
Key facts
- 2026 closures
- 17 Red Lobster locations are listed for closure.
- Current footprint
- About 540 U.S. restaurants, down from more than 700 before bankruptcy.
- Bankruptcy filing
- Red Lobster filed for Chapter 11 in May 2024.
- 2024 closures
- More than 100 locations closed in 2024.
- Lease obligations
- The company leased 687 locations and spent $190.5 million on lease obligations in 2023, according to a court filing reported by Bloomberg.
- Customer traffic
- Guest traffic fell about 30% between 2019 and 2024.
- Promotion
- The Ultimate Endless Shrimp promotion was associated with an estimated $19 million loss and was later brought back as a limited-time offer after an April test.
- List discrepancy
- Although the headline references Huntsville, no Huntsville address appears in the supplied closure list.
Sources
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