Updated May 18, 2026, 10:09 p.m. ET
- Red Lobster’s oldest continuously-operating location in Tallahassee is closing permanently.
- The closure comes despite the chain exiting bankruptcy in September 2024 with a new operational plan.
- The company has been reducing its restaurant and corporate staff as part of ongoing cost-cutting measures.
Tallahasseeans, say goodbye to fresh “Cheddar Bay Biscuits.”
After 56 years, the Red Lobster seafood restaurant chain’s oldest continuously-operating location is turning off its ovens for the final time.
The final day of operation of the restaurant on North Monroe Street is Sunday, May 24. The store’s manager and employees confirmed the news to the Tallahassee Democrat on May 18.
The chain once known for its “endless shrimp” promotion has weathered years of financial storms. Headlines in 2024 revealed deep financial struggles. In an effort to rebuild, the chain began shrinking its footprint and rethinking its future with a full revamp.
By September 2024, the seafood chain exited bankruptcy with a new operational plan and a hefty $60 million investment from its backers, Fortress Investment Group, which they poured into the 545 remaining locations they had in operation around the time.
In 2024, 17 storefronts in Florida were among the 126 that closed nationwide. But Tallahassee’s landmark operation was never on the hit list.
Until now.
It’s even after Tallahassee hosted a grand “re-opening” with new menus focusing on “wild caught” seafood flavors and support from corporate staff to calm the waters.
The restaurant opened with fanfare in October 1970. A story in the Democrat at the time said Red Lobster would bring “family priced seafood” to the the capital city in an atmosphere designed to make you feel “at home.” An ad from the time had baby shrimp and crabmeat and baked oysters at $1.85. Steak and lobster would set you back $3.55.
Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun told The Wall Street Journal earlier this year that the chain was assessing its roster of restaurants and the locations’ leases with a potential for additional closures.
More cost-cutting measures followed in December 2025, when Red Lobster reduced its workforce by about 1%, resulting in the loss of less than 200 restaurant-level employees, according to Restaurant Business.
The company has also laid off about 10% of its corporate staff in recent months, the Journal reported. Red Lobster has around 480 remaining locations.
Darden has plenty of other restaurants in its portfolio Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, The Capital Grille, Chuy’s, Seasons 52, Eddie V’s and Bahama Breeze. But it’s not clear if Darden will stick with the site or what comes after Red Lobster.
As news spread about the closing of a local seafood mainstay after more than half a century, many in Tallahassee said they were shocked.
“Please tell me this isn’t true,” one person wrote on Facebook. Another took comfort from the fact that you can still buy the Red Lobster cheddar biscuit mix from the grocery store.
“Sooo many family memories!” another person wrote. “Sad to hear.”
Grillmaster cooked seafood for generations in Tallahassee
In 2016, the Democrat introduced readers to Horace Williams. Not a household name by any stretch, but generations of seafood lovers were familiar with his culinary work. For more than four decades he was head grillmaster at the Tallahassee Red Lobster.
The joy was in preparing it for palates other than his own. He thrived on preparing each dish to satisfy the expectations of his customers. His favorite dishes were the shrimp creole and the Ultimate Feast.
“I have cooked over a hundred meals a day, sometimes 150,” he said, with a sense of pride. “It all depends on how many people come in that door.”
His best memory?
“The way I cook the food,” he said. “I take pride in the food. I cook it to make it look presentable. Like I could go out and eat it myself.”
This article includes previously reported information from the archives. Kyla A Sanford covers dining and entertainment for the Tallahassee Democrat. New restaurant opening up, special deals, or events coming up? Let me know at ksanford@tallahassee.com. You can also email your suggestions for a future TLH Eats restaurant profile.
