One Florida slinger of shellfish is turning off its grill for the last time.<\/p>\n
The oldest continuously operating Red Lobster seafood restaurant \u2014 located in Tallahassee, Florida \u2014 will officially close on May 24. The news was confirmed to the Tallahassee Democrat<\/a> by the manager and employees at the North Monroe Street location.<\/p>\n In 2024, 17 Florida Red Lobsters closed<\/a> across the country, but Tallahassee remained open.<\/p>\n Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun told The Wall Street Journal<\/a> in February that the chain \u201cneeded to get smaller\u201d and was assessing its restaurant roster and lease terms.<\/p>\n Red Lobster did not immediately respond a request for comment from TODAY.com.<\/p>\n The Florida location first opened in 1970, and at the time, a newspaper ad<\/a> promised that the \u201cfood is outstanding and the atmosphere is informal.\u201d Just picture it: Someone could have first heard The Carpenters\u2019 \u201cClose to You<\/a>\u201d (which came out in 1970) while biting into their first Cheddar Bay Biscuit.<\/p>\n 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<\/a> today will set you back around $50, depending on location.<\/p>\n One employee, Horace Williams, worked at the Tallahassee location for more than four decades as head grillmaster.<\/p>\n \u201cI have cooked over a hundred meals a day, sometimes 150,\u201d he told the Democrat. \u201cI take pride in the food. I cook it to make it look presentable. Like I could go out and eat it myself.\u201d<\/p>\n Red Lobster Recently Dug Itself Out of Bankruptcy<\/p>\n Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy<\/a> in May 2024 and closed locations that fall, due in part to its $20 \u201cEndless Shrimp\u201d miscalculation<\/a> in 2023 that reportedly caused the company to lose an estimated $19 million.<\/p>\n In September 2024, the restaurant received court approval for its plan to exit bankruptcy, and when it reopened, it overhauled its menu<\/a> and made itself the butt of the joke with a tongue-in-cheek commercial about its new, less bankruptable deal called \u201cSpendLESS Shrimp<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n It also leaned on the endorsement of Flavor Flav<\/a>, who ordered the entire menu to help save the chain and later lent his clock-wearing image to a limited-time menu called \u201cFlavor Flav\u2019s Faves.\u201d<\/p>\n Most recently, in April, the chain decided to revive its Endless Shrimp promotion<\/a> for a limited time.<\/p>\n