I eat at Red Lobster once a year. The seafood chain’s bankruptcy hurts this Tennessean's heart

In 2023, The Tennessean’s Eating Nashville column dynamic duo, my colleagues Mackensy Lunsford and Brad Schmitt, ranked Red Lobster 20 out of 20 among Middle Tennessee chain restaurants.

Mackensy decried a murky lobster tank and Brad described the lobster he ordered as rubbery, chewy and expensive.

My heart sank, not because I’m the restaurant’s No. 1 fan, but because it has a special place in my heart.

For years now, my mother has sent me a Red Lobster gift certificate for Christmas, and it has become a yearly tradition to drive to Cool Springs where the service and food have been quite good. Plus, I agree with Mackensy that the Cheddar Bay “biscuits are slammin'.”

On Sunday, Red Lobster declared bankruptcy after closing dozens of stores including one Tennessee site in Memphis.

The seafood chain’s miseries came because of a self-inflicted wound: the “Ultimate Endless Shrimp” promotion led to multimillion-dollar losses. Americans’ gargantuan appetite became a liability.

Fresh, tasty and affordable seafood is hard to get in Nashville

When my parents moved from Chicago to Austin, Texas in 2018, they met me in Nashville and I drove them the rest of the way, taking Interstate 40. We stopped for lunch in Little Rock, Arkansas, and my mom insisted on going to the Red Lobster.

Last year, when I visited them in Austin, we made the chain restaurant one of our lunch spots.

On Monday, I called my mother to see if there was some kind of story or mystery behind why Red Lobster is so special.

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In the 1960s, after Fidel Castro came to power, she fled Cuba to Chicago, first via Mexico City and then San Antonio, Texas. The family did not own a car initially so going to restaurants was difficult.

More important, Red Lobster offered a variety of seafood to eat. In Cuba, her father was an avid fishermen and fresh seafood was a staple. Frankly, it was about the memories food often creates.

I can relate from my 14 years living in Fort Myers, Florida – seafood was plentiful, fresh and affordable. Not so much in landlocked Nashville where I moved 10 years ago.

There are wonderful seafood options in Middle Tennessee, but they tend to be very expensive. The Red Lobster gives families an opportunity to enjoy a seafood experience together.

It was never about the lobster or shrimp; it was about the memories

I can’t say that I have ever had the compunction to order any all-you-can-eat restaurant options as an adult, but I know Americans love a good deal.

When I go to Red Lobster, like my mother, I enjoy the variety including the dishes that let you pick a mix, such as, shrimp prepared in different ways – in garlic sauce or fried with coconut flake batter, for example – and other items including scallops and crab legs. I have eaten the lobster tail, but it is not my first choice.

I like seafood a lot and have good memories of visiting my grandparents when they retired to Tampa, Florida and going to a restaurant on a pier to eat freshly caught mackerel cooked in a wood-fire stove.

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I remember going with friends to order fresh Gulf shrimp or grouper at an eatery on Fort Myers Beach.

On Sunday, I enjoyed seafood caught in Lake Lanier and served at a fish fry held at my parents’ church in their new hometown near Atlanta.

My next trip to Red Lobster may not come until I receive my next gift certificate, but I enjoy what the experience stands for and I’ll be sad if my favorite location in Middle Tennessee closes.

David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. He is an editorial board member of The Tennessean. He hosts the Tennessee Voices videocast and curates the Tennessee Voices and Latino Tennessee Voices newsletters. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or find him on X at @davidplazas.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Is Red Lobster closing in Tennessee? The brand's bankruptcy stings