Red Lobster abruptly closed the doors of some 50 restaurants Monday, including at least three locations in Alabama.
According to media reports and the company’s website, restaurants around the country listed hours as “closed” on Red Lobster’s website. Four of the restaurants listed as closed include Alabama locations in Auburn, Decatur, Huntsville and Mobile.
Hours are still listed for Red Lobster locations in Birmingham, Dothan, Gadsden, Florence, Montgomery, Oxford, Tuscaloosa and Vestavia Hills.
Closures have also been reported in locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
READ MORE: Red Lobster considering filing for bankruptcy, reports say
On Monday, TAGeX Brands announced it was conducting an online auction for closing Red Lobster restaurants.
Advertised as the “largest restaurant equipment auction ever,” the website said the sale includes items from 50-plus locations across the country, including the Auburn and Decatur restaurants.
“These auctions are winner takes all – meaning each winner will receive the entire content of the Red Lobster location they bid on,” the website stated, adding items include high-performance ovens, upright refrigerators and freezers, bar and dining set-ups and more.
Auctions will end on May 16.
The closures come after reports emerged last month the chain was considering Chapter 11 bankruptcy to shed long-term contracts and renegotiate its leases. Started in Lakeland, Florida in 1968 there are now approximately 650 Red Lobster locations in the U.S. It is owned by seafood supplier Thai Union, which acquired the majority stake in 2020 after buying out Golden State Capital.