The oldest Red Lobster location is closing after 56 years
One Florida slinger of shellfish is turning off its grill for the last time.
The oldest continuously operating Red Lobster seafood restaurant — located in Tallahassee, Florida — will officially close on May 24. The news was first reported by the Tallahassee Democrat.
In 2024, 17 Florida Red Lobsters closed across the country, but Tallahassee remained open.
Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun told The Wall Street Journal in February that the chain “needed to get smaller” and was assessing its restaurant roster and lease terms.
“We can confirm the Tallahassee restaurant will be closing. This restaurant holds a special place in Red Lobster’s history and has been a meaningful part of the community for decades. We’re grateful to the guests and team members who have supported it over the years,” a Red Lobster spokesperson shared with TODAY.com.
“As part of the normal course of business, Red Lobster continuously evaluates restaurant performance and lease terms and may, from time to time, choose to close or relocate select restaurants. This decision reflects individual business circumstances specific to this location.”
The Florida location first opened in 1970, and at the time, a newspaper ad promised that the “food is outstanding and the atmosphere is informal.” Just picture it: Someone could have first heard The Carpenters’ “Close to You” (which came out in 1970) while biting into their first Cheddar Bay Biscuit.
At the time, the Shrimp Creole en Casserole sold for $1.95, Baked Oysters a la Red Lobster for $1.85, and a platter with steak and lobster for $3.55. In contrast, the Surf and Turf at Red Lobster today will set you back around $50, depending on location.
One employee, Horace Williams, worked at the Tallahassee location for more than four decades as head grillmaster.
“I have cooked over a hundred meals a day, sometimes 150,” he told the Democrat. “I take pride in the food. I cook it to make it look presentable. Like I could go out and eat it myself.”
Red Lobster recently dug itself out of bankruptcy
Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy in May 2024 and closed locations that fall, due in part to its $20 “Endless Shrimp” miscalculation in 2023 that reportedly caused the company to lose an estimated $19 million.
In September 2024, the restaurant received court approval for its plan to exit bankruptcy, and when it reopened, it overhauled its menu and made itself the butt of the joke with a tongue-in-cheek commercial about its new, less bankruptable deal called “SpendLESS Shrimp.”
It also leaned on the endorsement of Flavor Flav, who ordered the entire menu to help save the chain and later lent his clock-wearing image to a limited-time menu called “Flavor Flav’s Faves.”
Most recently, in April, the chain decided to revive its Endless Shrimp promotion for a limited time.
“This is about putting our guests first and bringing back something they truly love,” Adamolekun said in a statement.
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