July 9, 2024 — After closing more than 100 locations following the announcement of its bankruptcy, restaurant chain Red Lobster is hoping it can successfully negotiate leases on several additional locations that are on the chopping block.
At a creditor meeting held on 28 June, Red Lobster CEO Jonathan Tibus said the chain will close several additional restaurants because negotiations with landlords on the locations’ leases fell through.
June 19, 2024 — Fortress Credit Corp. has been confirmed as the stalking horse bidder in the auctioned sale of Red Lobster, approved to take place in late July by the judge overseeing the Orlando, Florida, U.S.A.-based seafood restaurant chain’s bankruptcy proceeding.
Fortress, a private investment firm with USD 48 million (EUR 44.7 million) under management and a focus on distressed companies, has become one of Red Lobster’s largest creditors.
June 4, 2024 — Red Lobster has been authorized to pay millions of dollars to vendors, a judge overseeing the restaurant chain’s bankruptcy petition ruled.
Additionally, the Orlando, Florida, U.S.A.-based operator of around 550 restaurants may close more than 100 additional restaurants if it’s unable to renegotiate leases, according to bankruptcy documents.
May 28, 2024 — Red Lobster is millions of dollars in arrears with several food distributors and suppliers, but only one seafood supplier has filed a claim for owed money in the restaurant chain’s bankruptcy petition so far.
Clackamas, Oregon, U.S.A.-based Pacific Seafood has filed a claim of USD 1,938.25 (EUR 1,782) in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Orlando, Florida, U.S.A.
May 22, 2024 — Thai Union is fighting back against accusations from Red Lobster CEO Jonathan Tibus that its mismanagement led to the company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on 20 May.
In court documents, Red Lobster revealed it has initiated an investigation of Thai Union’s involvement in the failure of its Ultimate Endless Shrimp promotion, as well as its “undue influence” on shrimp purchasing.
May 20, 2024 — Red Lobster officially entered a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on Monday, 20 May.
The beleaguered restaurant chain filed for bankruptcy protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Orlando, Florida, U.S.A., where it is based. Red Lobster said it intends to use the process to drive operational improvements, simplify the business through a reduction in locations, and “pursue a sale of substantially all of its assets as a going concern.”
April 28, 2024 — Red Lobster’s suppliers are being paid 48 days past their due dates.
Red Lobster submitted late payments for nearly 70 percent of its bills in October 2023, around 66 percent of its bills in November 2023, and 27.8 percent in December 2023, according to FSR Magazine.
April 17, 2024 — Less than a month after hiring a CEO that specializes in restructuring failing restaurant brands, struggling seafood restaurant chain Red Lobster is exploring bankruptcy.
Executives with Orlando, Florida, U.S.A.-based Red Lobster, which operates around 650 restaurants globally, have been seeking advice from the Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.-based King & Spalding law firm as they consider filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Bloomberg reported. The news service cited people with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be identified.
The struggling restaurant chain is considering a Chapter 11 filing to “shed some long-term contracts and renegotiate a swath of leases,” according to the sources. The company’s cash flows have been weighed down by onerous leases and labor costs, among other issues.
The beleaguered restaurant chain has struggled in recent years, and incurred significant losses from Covid-19 restaurant closures. Amid the ongoing financial struggles, Thai Union announced it would pursue an exit from its strategic partnership and minority investment in Red Lobster Master Holdings. Thai Union first invested in the restaurant chain in 2016 and increased that investment in 2020.
February 21, 2024 — A series of lawsuits related to sustainability claims and eco-labels have changed the seafood industry’s approach to marketing sustainability bona fides. Lawsuits filed against Mowi, Gorton’s, ALDI, Conagra, Bumble Bee Foods, and Red Lobster are either pending or have resulted in settlements.
The suits should be a wake-up call to the seafood industry that it needs to change its marketing practices, according to Arlin Wasserman – the founder and managing director of Changing Tastes, a seafood industry consultancy working at the intersection of sustainability, public health, information technology, demographics, and the changing role of the culinary professional. Wasserman, who was previously the vice president of sustainability at foodservice provider Sodexo, recently discussed how companies can adapt and modernize their marketing campaigns with SeafoodSource.
January 3, 2024 — A federal judge has denied Red Lobster’s motion to dismiss a class-action fraud lawsuit alleging that the restaurant chain sold Maine lobster and farmed shrimp that is not as sustainable as the company claims.
U.S. District Judge John A. Kronstadt denied the motion to dismiss the class action complaint, originally filed by Dezzi Rae Marshall in the U.S. state of California against Orlando, Florida, U.S.A-based Red Lobster. Marshall – represented by Richman Law and Policy, which has brought similar lawsuits against ALDI, Cooke, and other companies – alleges that the company’s shrimp and lobster are sourced from farms and fisheries that don’t meet high environmental standards.