Red Lobster closes restaurant, auctions off equipment

Red Lobster, the once-popular casual dining chain with locations across the country, abruptly shuttered dozens of restaurants across several states this week, including its Dublin location. 

The company, Red Lobster Hospitality, LLC, a subsidiary of the Thai Union Group, an international seafood company, issued no formal statement or reason behind the closures. The company is reportedly facing financial woes after it bit off more than it could chew with an all-you-can-eat shrimp promotion and will be seeking bankruptcy protections in the coming weeks.  

Online directories list the Dublin restaurant, at 2105 Veterans Blvd., as only temporarily closed; however, liquidation firm TAGeX Brands has the building contents, including the kitchen equipment, listed at auction for the Dublin location and about 50 other Red Lobster restaurants. 

The auction is online and is winner-take-all. As of deadline, the highest bid was $2,800. The auction closed at 10:30 a.m. today. Available items included everything from the booths in the dining room to the iconic lobster tank in the lobby. 

Other Georgia locations listed in the sale include the Roswell and Athens.