The Orlando, Florida-based company filed for Chapter 11 protection on Sunday, listing assets and liabilities of $1 billion to $10 billion each in its bankruptcy petition. The filing allows the company to keep operating while it works out a plan to repay creditors.
Red Lobster plans to hand control of the company to its lenders, led by Fortress Investment Group, who have agreed to provide $100 million in financing to support the chain through bankruptcy. The takeover offer is in the form of a stalking horse bid, meaning it will set the floor price for Red Lobster’s assets and is subject to better bids should any materialize in the coming weeks, according to court documents.
The restaurant chain had been deteriorating for several years, with diners down around 30% since 2019, Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Tibus wrote in court papers. While the business had shown signs of recovery since the pandemic, sales declined sharply in the last 12 months, Tibus wrote. It lost $76 million in the 2023 fiscal year.
Inflationary pressures have kept customers from dining out and higher labor costs strained the company’s finances. A “material portion” of Red Lobster’s leases were priced above market rates. In May 2023, the company changed its $20 “Ultimate Endless Shrimp” from a limited-time offer to a permanent promotion, costing it $11 million as diners devoured expensive plates of shrimp.
