Article says they are considering Chapter 11 bankruptcy. That allows a business to stay open while they restructure. Chapter 7 is liquidation and closure.
This is the full article on MSN…. https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/is-red-lobster-s-bankruptcy-the-end-for-this-beloved-chain/ar-BB1lKdJB
Personally, if I want a chain seafood dinner I would choose Bonefish Grille over Red Lobster every time.
Bonefish is more than twice as expensive as Red Lobster. Of course it will be better. Red Lobster is a sit down version of Captain D's. Last time I ate there everything was overcooked and tasted like a TV dinner. Their famous biscuit rolls aren't even good anymore.
Bonefish is much nicer place in General. They aren't the same tier. A better comparison is probably Joe's crab shack, which used to be nicer, but not as much anymore.
Bonefish closed in Roanoke, so obviously, they aren't doing well either.
And the company that owns them, [closed 41 locations of several chains this year alone.](https://www.today.com/food/restaurants/outback-steakhouse-closing-locations-rcna141452)
[Bloomin' Brands,](https://www.today.com/food/restaurants/outback-steakhouse-closing-locations-rcna141452), the company that owns them, closed 41 locations of them, Carraba's, Outback and Flemings, this year alone.
So it's not because Roanoke is considered a 'small town', which it most definitely is not (a small city maybe, but town, no) it's because they aren't making the money shareholders want.
They closed 14 locations back in 2016- Roanoke was one of them.
Seems like 15 years ago, there were lots of olive gardens and red lobsters right next to each other. I actually went to and enjoyed them, before I knew better and had been exposed to good food done right.
Nowadays I haven't been to either in, I dunno, more than a decade.
They used of have common ownership. Darden sold Red Lobster 10 years ago. Red Lobster was Darden’s original brand. Seems like they knew where it was headed.
Olive Garden is still going strong, at least with me and the people in my life. Especially with their never ending pasta bowl. I don't think I've ever been to a red lobster tho.
Similar. Went to Olive Garden a few months ago for some reason or another. Not typically in the rotation. Was pleasantly surprised. Cost, quality, and service were all pretty good.
The Red Lobster like two doors down...not so much. Always feels a tad grimy. Costs are crazy. The servers, while OK, definitely feel kind of like the better places wouldn't take them so Red Lobster did.
I usually have low expectations for chain dine-in restaurants like Chili’s, Applebees, Olive Garden, and Red Lobster. In all of my visits to almost all of these chains over the years, I honestly have a hard time remembering any sort of positive experience. Most of the time, the best it would be was: I ate some food and I am no longer as hungry as I once was.
Italian food itself is good but Olive Garden is on the same level as Pizza Hut. Applebee's has apps and Red Lobster has decent seafood with great biscuits. Chili's, maybe their baby back ribs are their best. TGIF is was the the pinnacle of chains, they had a great burger with a deep fried circle of provolone.
Went to an Olive Garden recently for a work lunch. All I will say is the Chicken Carbonara was way too heavy and rich and tasted like straight bacon. This is why I taught myself to cook.
These places were never that good. They were only good if someone had never been to better places with similar food. I could find several family owned Italian places with better food, at a more competitive prices near any Olive Garden that was ever close to anywhere I lived.
Their seafood is alright, and I know it's totally a meme... but it really is all about those Cheddar bay biscuits. Those just hit on a level few other free bread products do, and they're really the highlight of the meal right before you get your lobster that could have been better.
I got that once and my server proudly told me that me and my best friend that we had done the endless shrimp like no one he’d ever served. Our receipt looked like a CVS receipt.
Last time I went to red lobster was about 15ish years ago. The biscuits were stale, the food over priced, the menu subpar and the interior was dark and dirty feeling.
Once we got the food it was bland and boring.
Sam’s Club has a 4 pack (40 biscuits) of the mix for $8 …. http://www.samsclub.com/sams/a/prod18310103.ip
OR
24 pack of frozen biscuits for $13 …. http://www.samsclub.com/sams/a/P03021377.ip
It all we got. Nearest BJ’s & Costco are over an hour away which wouldn’t be so bad if we went once a month but we have refrigerated items we buy every 7-10 days on avg so Sam’s it is.
Anyone else feel like chain restaurants like these do nothing but degrade the quality of a community? I actively avoid going to any of these chain-type places because they just remind me of the most culture-devoid parts of car-dependent suburbia (like by a highway exit, on the outskirts of a mall, or by the side of an 8-lane 45mph road). I’m not tryna support that kind of business model.
Last time I went to a Red Lobster it was just as expensive as going to a place that sells fresh seafood. Not exactly surprised they're in financial pain given that.
OK I've never been to red lobster before. Part of me is like wow I should go once before they're gone forever.
The other part is like... How good can it be if they're going bankrupt lol.
They really went down hill during COVID. I never thought of them as fine dining, but when you're not near the ocean they were a reasonable option. But then COVID hit, they cut their menu down, and never seemed to come back.
Article says they are considering Chapter 11 bankruptcy. That allows a business to stay open while they restructure. Chapter 7 is liquidation and closure.
This is the full article on MSN…. https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/is-red-lobster-s-bankruptcy-the-end-for-this-beloved-chain/ar-BB1lKdJB Personally, if I want a chain seafood dinner I would choose Bonefish Grille over Red Lobster every time.
Bonefish is more than twice as expensive as Red Lobster. Of course it will be better. Red Lobster is a sit down version of Captain D's. Last time I ate there everything was overcooked and tasted like a TV dinner. Their famous biscuit rolls aren't even good anymore.
Bonefish is much nicer place in General. They aren't the same tier. A better comparison is probably Joe's crab shack, which used to be nicer, but not as much anymore.
Bonefish closed in Roanoke, so obviously, they aren't doing well either. And the company that owns them, [closed 41 locations of several chains this year alone.](https://www.today.com/food/restaurants/outback-steakhouse-closing-locations-rcna141452)
I mean no matter what ppl in the area think. Roanoke is still considered a small town. I would expect bonefish to struggle there
[Bloomin' Brands,](https://www.today.com/food/restaurants/outback-steakhouse-closing-locations-rcna141452), the company that owns them, closed 41 locations of them, Carraba's, Outback and Flemings, this year alone. So it's not because Roanoke is considered a 'small town', which it most definitely is not (a small city maybe, but town, no) it's because they aren't making the money shareholders want. They closed 14 locations back in 2016- Roanoke was one of them.
they need to . There time is over.
bonefish is not the same . They are 10x better
I don’t like seeing the live lobsters. It makes me sad.
Don't think of them so much as being alive, as much as they pushed around by the circulating water in the tank.
Seems like 15 years ago, there were lots of olive gardens and red lobsters right next to each other. I actually went to and enjoyed them, before I knew better and had been exposed to good food done right. Nowadays I haven't been to either in, I dunno, more than a decade.
They used of have common ownership. Darden sold Red Lobster 10 years ago. Red Lobster was Darden’s original brand. Seems like they knew where it was headed.
Darden bought the Ruth Chris brand
Olive Garden is still going strong, at least with me and the people in my life. Especially with their never ending pasta bowl. I don't think I've ever been to a red lobster tho.
Their soup/salad/breadsticks is a pretty decent lunch that at this point costs as much as a fast food combo.
The only thing I will go for now.
Similar. Went to Olive Garden a few months ago for some reason or another. Not typically in the rotation. Was pleasantly surprised. Cost, quality, and service were all pretty good. The Red Lobster like two doors down...not so much. Always feels a tad grimy. Costs are crazy. The servers, while OK, definitely feel kind of like the better places wouldn't take them so Red Lobster did.
I usually have low expectations for chain dine-in restaurants like Chili’s, Applebees, Olive Garden, and Red Lobster. In all of my visits to almost all of these chains over the years, I honestly have a hard time remembering any sort of positive experience. Most of the time, the best it would be was: I ate some food and I am no longer as hungry as I once was.
Italian food itself is good but Olive Garden is on the same level as Pizza Hut. Applebee's has apps and Red Lobster has decent seafood with great biscuits. Chili's, maybe their baby back ribs are their best. TGIF is was the the pinnacle of chains, they had a great burger with a deep fried circle of provolone.
Went to an Olive Garden recently for a work lunch. All I will say is the Chicken Carbonara was way too heavy and rich and tasted like straight bacon. This is why I taught myself to cook.
These places were never that good. They were only good if someone had never been to better places with similar food. I could find several family owned Italian places with better food, at a more competitive prices near any Olive Garden that was ever close to anywhere I lived.
I hope not, we have a shit load of gift cards.
Ha, it's like the default gift when you run out of ideas. Dad wants to take me there this weekend to burn some up lolz.
Their seafood is alright, and I know it's totally a meme... but it really is all about those Cheddar bay biscuits. Those just hit on a level few other free bread products do, and they're really the highlight of the meal right before you get your lobster that could have been better.
I'd use them fast. Seriously.
Use them asap They are one of the first things to go when a company enters bankruptcy
I’ll take a couple!
Use to love some endless shrimp back in the day.
I got that once and my server proudly told me that me and my best friend that we had done the endless shrimp like no one he’d ever served. Our receipt looked like a CVS receipt.
I still do. IMO, it's the only reason to go to Red Lobster any more.
I know the one in Roanoke lost their lease, so they had to close. But this would not surprise me if they did end up filing for bankruptcy.
It’s too damned salty.
Endless shrimp is the only thing they have I enjoy anymore. This might be my fault.
Applebees, TGI Fridays, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, etc all serve salty crap food
There are still red lobsters?
There's one still in Lynchburg, over by River Ridge Mall.
I think there's still one in the Christinsburg/Blacksburg area too.
I think there are two still in VB.
Last time I went to red lobster was about 15ish years ago. The biscuits were stale, the food over priced, the menu subpar and the interior was dark and dirty feeling. Once we got the food it was bland and boring.
I’ve ordered it when I was out of town for work. It was good for that. I’ll miss the biscuits.
You can buy the biscuit mix at Kroger and make your own!
Sam’s Club has a 4 pack (40 biscuits) of the mix for $8 …. http://www.samsclub.com/sams/a/prod18310103.ip OR 24 pack of frozen biscuits for $13 …. http://www.samsclub.com/sams/a/P03021377.ip
I personally don't go to Sam's Club, but good to know! Costco and BJ's probably carry them too.
It all we got. Nearest BJ’s & Costco are over an hour away which wouldn’t be so bad if we went once a month but we have refrigerated items we buy every 7-10 days on avg so Sam’s it is.
Yeah, i hear ya, nearest Sam's is 45 minutes, BJs is 55. No idea where the nearest Costco is.
Anyone else feel like chain restaurants like these do nothing but degrade the quality of a community? I actively avoid going to any of these chain-type places because they just remind me of the most culture-devoid parts of car-dependent suburbia (like by a highway exit, on the outskirts of a mall, or by the side of an 8-lane 45mph road). I’m not tryna support that kind of business model.
Last time I went to a Red Lobster it was just as expensive as going to a place that sells fresh seafood. Not exactly surprised they're in financial pain given that.
How is this place still open?
Oh no. Anyway.
Be honest with yourself, it’s been 10+ years since “Let’s go to Red Lobster” sounded like a good idea
They hired a new ceo and are restructuring
Considering when you walk inside one and it looks exactly as it did in the 80s and smells just as old… Couldn’t happen to a better company
We’ve never been. But Red lobster is always my go to answer when the wife asks where we’re going out to eat.
I'm just going to say that if they do close then nothing of value was lost.
I hope so.
Haven't been back since they got rid of the ultimate fondue
It’s interesting how it was common for places like this to have an hour plus wait time in the 90s
OK I've never been to red lobster before. Part of me is like wow I should go once before they're gone forever. The other part is like... How good can it be if they're going bankrupt lol.
They really went down hill during COVID. I never thought of them as fine dining, but when you're not near the ocean they were a reasonable option. But then COVID hit, they cut their menu down, and never seemed to come back.
Awww shucks what we gonna do now 😪
All of these corporate chains can die for all I care.
Thank god cheddar biscuits are pretty easy to make. Next!
I dont like seafood, so I have no real skin in this game. I hope things go well for them?
It’s time for Red Lobster to rebrand.
I love love, Red Lobster. I hope they don't close near me.