Red Lobster patrons in San Diego found the doors shut at the Mira Mesa Boulevard location—as one of nearly 50 nationwide closures by the seafood chain, which began auctioning off its kitchen equipment this week. A sign on the door of the now-closed restaurant read, "This location is closed. We look forward to serving you at another Red Lobster location in the future," reported FOX 5/KUSI. The sudden shutdown of these establishments aligns with past reports of financial strife within the company, igniting speculation about a potential bankruptcy that Red Lobster has yet to confirm.
In contrast, other San Diego-area Red Lobsters—Midway District, Chula Vista, and Temecula—are operating normally despite the shuttering of the Mira Mesa site. The restaurant's official page indicates that the Mira Mesa site now lists its hours online in perpetuity as "closed." Items from the Mira Mesa location, including high-performance ovens and comprehensive bar setups, have been started with a bid of $2,100, noted TAGeX Brands, the liquidation company in charge of the sale.
The auction, which began on May 13, was announced by TAGeX Brands' auction site with specific terms noting the right to cancel at any time, demanding immediate payment post-auction and enforcing pick-up by the end of the day on May 17, any items not collected by then would be forfeited without a refund; they also highlighted that the sample inventory list may have slight deviations from actual items available and excluded perishable goods and alcohol from the auction.
Attempts to garner a response from the Red Lobster company have been fruitless as FOX 5/KUSI's requests for comment on the closures went unanswered, leaving former employees and customers in the lurch as they seek clarity on the future of this iconic American dining chain. In the meantime, the seafood chain's fate in the hands of liquidation auctions, while the rest of its fleet remains at anchor, hopeful diners and seafood enthusiasts may have to set sail for other harbors—or perhaps the surviving Red Lobster locations—until the tide turns for this beset company.