As Red Lobster locations close, here's a look back at Florida-original restaurant, its menu
The end of an era?
As Red Lobster locations close across the country, including more than a dozen in Florida, memories of unlimited Cheddar Bay Biscuits and Ultimate Feasts are popping up online and what the seafood restaurant chain meant to diners over the years.
Frog legs at Red Lobster? That was a thing.
A fast-casual Red Lobster restaurant? It lasted a year, with only two sites in Florida.
This week, there were signs on the door of some Red Lobster locations with empty parking lots, including a location in Leesburg and others across the country. The signs said: "This location is closed. We look forward to serving you at another Red Lobster in the future."
Several national media outlets, including The Hill, reported that at least 48 Red Lobster restaurants were closed. The closures are also in seven states other than Florida.
Red Lobster, the once popular seafood restaurant that started in Lakeland, Florida, in the late 1960s, was considering a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, according to multiple news sources.
Here's a look back at the iconic seafood restaurant, Red Lobster food facts and its ties to Florida.
Which Red Lobster restaurants in Florida have closed?
As of Monday, May 13, these Red Lobster locations in Florida have closed:
Red Lobster facts: A look back at seafood restaurant chain's history and things to know
Below are things to know about Red Lobster, the seafood restaurant's founders and its history in Florida and beyond, according to archive coverage from the Lakeland Ledger.
Red Lobster was founded by restaurateur Bill Darden, who opened several restaurants called The Green Frog in Georgia beginning in 1938. Darden partnered with Charles Woodsby, founder of Texas Cattle Co.
Red Lobster co-founder Bill Darden of Lakeland, Florida, had been running restaurants since age 19.
The first Red Lobster seafood restaurant opened in 1968 along U.S. 92 with a view of Lake Parker in Lakeland, Florida. The restaurant was an immediate hit and became a destination for the community.
Around the time Red Lobster first opened, the only chain restaurants were fast-food places, such as McDonald's.
The concept of Red Lobster? Open a seafood restaurant in a landlocked community and see if it can be franchised. Larry Ross, a professor of business administration at Florida Southern College who worked at the original Red Lobster in Lakeland, described the goals of Bill Darden and Charles Woodsby in a 2014 Lakeland Ledger story: "What they did was test a seafood restaurant in a landlocked community and prove if (it) can fly here, (it) can fly anywhere."
Former Gov. Lawton Chiles, a Lakeland native, was an early investor in Red Lobster. Chiles, who died in 1998, purchased the land and built the buildings that housed the first four Red Lobster locations along with his one-time legal partner Bill Ellsworth.
General Mills bought the first five Red Lobster restaurants in 1970 and created a nationwide chain, which, at the time, included more than 700 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. In 1995, General Mills spun off the chain, creating Darden Restaurants, a publicly traded company. (Darden Restaurants operated other chain restaurants like Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, the Capital Grille, Seasons 52 and the Yard House.)
Ten years ago, on May 16, 2014, Darden Restaurants announced it would sell the Red Lobster seafood chain to Golden Gate Capital for $2.1 billion to improve the parent company's financial performance. Darden announced the completion of the sale of Red Lobster to Golden Gate Capital on July 28, 2014.
Golden Gate is no longer the owner of Red Lobster. Golden Gate sold 25% of Red Lobster to Thai Union in 2016 and then sold its remaining interest in Red Lobster to Thai Union in 2020, a news release states.
In 2020, a rare blue lobster was caught (a one-in-200-million chance, according to the University of Maine Lobster Institute) and saved from being a catch of the day at the Cuyahoga Falls Red Lobster location, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Restaurant workers noticed the lobster's rare blue color among the live lobster delivery. It was donated to the Akron Zoo in Akron, Ohio, and later named "Clawde" after the famous Red Lobster mascot.
The original Red Lobster site closed in May 1997 after 29 years and moved to 3706 U.S. 98, Lakeland, in front of Lakeland Square Mall. The Red Lobster restaurant location in Lakeland was still open as of May 15, 2024.
Red Lobster seafood restaurant food facts: About Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Ultimate Feasts, Endless Shrimp
Frog legs at Red Lobster? When Red Lobster first opened, among the early menu items were a half-dozen oysters for 65 cents and a platter of frog legs and hush puppies for $2.50. An AP story from 2012 shows a 1968 Red Lobster menu with steak and lobster for $2.95, broiled Florida lobster for $2.35, fried snapper fingers for $1.25, oyster stew, "fish-on-a-bun" or a flounder sandwich for 35 cents, milk for 20 cents, and a whisky sour for 65 cents.
Early Red Lobster feast plates: Before Red Lobster's Ultimate Feast was a thing, the 1968 Red Lobster menu shows a "mariner's platter" that included fried shrimp, oysters, flounder, fried crab claws, deviled crab cake, hush puppies, choice of potato and coleslaw − for $1.95. Similarly, the restaurant also offered a "Neptune platter" with fried shrimp, oysters, flounder, frog legs, scallops, a deviled crab cake, fried crab claws, hush puppies, choice of potato, and coleslaw − for $2.50.
Clam chowder at Red Lobster: Besides lobster, fish and shrimp, one of the notable menu items that has become a mainstay at the seafood chain was New England clam chowder, appearing on the menu in 1968 and continuing today.
Cheddar Bay Biscuits: The free bread became a signature starter for Red Lobster when it was owned by Darden Restaurants. Cheddar Bay Biscuits would appear on tables prior to diners ordering. Originally, the restaurant served hush puppies, fried cornmeal and onions, but switched to the cheddar biscuits because they were easier to produce, Larry Ross, who worked at the original Red Lobster as a 15-year-old busboy, said in a 2014 Lakeland Ledger story.
Red Lobster Seafood Express: Over the years, Red Lobster has updated its menu to feature more fresh fish and wood-fired options. In the 2010s, the seafood chain was competing with fast-casual restaurants such as Chipotle Mexican Grill and Panera Bread. In 2013, Red Lobster unveiled its own fast-casual concept, offering Seaside Express where customers ordered at the counter for quick-served lunches without the traditional waiter service. It was tested at two Orlando restaurants and discontinued the same year, according to the Ledger.
Lobsterfest: Red Lobster's first "Lobsterfest" was held in 1983, becoming one of the company's constant staples.
Pasta at Red Lobster: Around 2000, the Red Lobster menu was revamped to add pasta with seafood items and season the chain's traditional dishes with more spices and herbs, according to a 2000 Lakeland Ledger story.
A new look for Red Lobster restaurants: Also in 2000, when the company was owned by Darden Restaurants, Red Lobster made an effort to make servers more knowledgeable about liquor and make bars more visible in order to increase alcohol sales.
Ultimate Feast at Red Lobster: In 2014, Red Lobster's Ultimate Feast included a Maine lobster tail, steamed North American snow crab legs, garlic shrimp scampi and fried shrimp − for $28. A check online on May 15, 2024, shows the seafood restaurant's "Create Your Own Ultimate Feast," which includes two premium and two classic selections served with a choice of sides, costs $41.99, and Red Lobster's Admiral Feast, which includes shrimp, flounder, fried clam strips, fried scallops and two sides, costs $25.99.
Lobster Feast at Red Lobster: The seafood restaurant chain's popular Lobster Feast actually includes one lobster per person, according to its menu, "live Maine lobsters are steamed to order for you and your guests. Each meal includes lobster bisque, steamed Maine lobsters (one per person), four individual sides, dessert and Cheddar Bay Biscuits."
Endless Shrimp at Red Lobster: The seafood restaurant chain's signature promotion, Endless Shrimp, was already a hit since about 2005. Beginning in June 2023, however, the limited-time special became permanent − all-day, everyday for $20. Guests would be able to choose two shrimp dishes to start, and when they were ready for more, they could order additional shrimp selections. Each Ultimate Endless Shrimp meal was accompanied by one side and Cheddar Bay Biscuits.
Samantha Neely and John Gallas of USA TODAY Network-Florida, Craig Webb of the Akron Beacon Journal, and Matt Reinstetle and Kevin Bouffard of The Lakeland Ledger contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Red Lobster sites closed in Florida, US: Before endless shrimp woes
