Red Lobster to Close 23 More Restaurants After Filing for Bankruptcy in May

The future of Red Lobster is looking grim — even with help from Flavor Flav.

The iconic seafood house is closing over 20 more of its restaurants across the country.

via People:

According to a court filing obtained by PEOPLE, 23 locations are set to close by Saturday, Aug. 31. The news comes after the seafood chain filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Florida back in May.

Per to the filing, which was submitted on Aug. 22., the closures include several locations in Florida, Illinois and Virginia, as well as Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and South Carolina.

Red Lobster currently operates over 530 restaurants, mainly in the U.S. and Canada. However, since filing for bankruptcy, the Orlando-based company has closed over 100 restaurants.

The filing states that the establishment has been reviewing leases “that are likely to continue to drive losses” based on an evaluation that “is centered on value maximization.”

Per the filing, Red Lobster does “not anticipate needing” the 23 identified restaurants “in order to operate their business going forward.”

During a previous round of closures, TAGeX Brands CEO Neal Shermanshared in a LinkedIn post that his company was handling liquidating the restaurant’s belongings via auctions. He wrote that the auctions are the company’s “largest restaurant liquidation ever” and will include furniture, fixtures and equipment.

Ony May 19, the seafood chain filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid growing debt. At the time, the Associated Press reported that the company has over 100,000 creditors and estimated assets between $1 billion and $10 billion. The outlet also stated that the company’s estimated liabilities are between $1 billion and $10 billion.

Prior to filing for bankruptcy, it was reported that the company’s signature endless shrimp deal caused the chain to lose $11 million.

It’s almost the end of an era.

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