Restaurant Manager

Red Lobster shutters its only Montgomery, Alabama location weeks after a fresh paint job. August 28, 2026 Red Lobster will close its decades-old Eastdale Circle restaurant in Montgomery, Alabama, on September 6, leaving the River Region without a single location of the struggling seafood chain. The closure comes just weeks after the restaurant received a fresh coat of Red Lobster's signature red paint on its exterior, a cosmetic upgrade that now looks less like a renewal and more like a going-away gesture. A company spokesperson offered little explanation, telling local outlet Montgomery Up only that the decision "reflected specific decisions tied to the unique operating conditions at this restaurant." What those "unique operating conditions" are, the company did not say. Red Lobster declined to elaborate beyond corporate boilerplate, adding that it remains "committed to making thoughtful decisions that position Red Lobster for long-term success, stability and growth." The U.S. Sun also reached out to Red Lobster for comment; no response was reported. A decades-old restaurant disappears with two weeks' notice. The Eastdale Circle location had served Montgomery for decades. Its closure will leave the entire River Region, a stretch of central Alabama anchored by the state capital, without a Red Lobster. For longtime patrons, the timing stings. Red Lobster revived its Endless Shrimp promotion on August 17, bringing back the all-you-can-eat deal for a limited run. That promotion made national headlines for all the wrong reasons: it played a central role in the financial spiral that pushed the chain into bankruptcy. Reintroducing the very deal that helped crater the company's finances, while simultaneously shutting down locations, captures the tension inside Red Lobster's post-bankruptcy strategy. The chain is trying to lure customers back with nostalgia while quietly shrinking its footprint, restaurant by restaurant. Montgomery residents already know what it feels like to lose a beloved chain location. Fox News reported on a Montgomery Taco Bell that burned down due to an electrical fire, prompting nearly 100 locals to hold a candlelight vigil in the parking lot. The event, organized as a joke on Facebook, drew a crowd and a band called "The Baja Angels." The restaurant owners pledged to rebuild. Red Lobster has made no such promise for Eastdale Circle. Post-bankruptcy closures keep piling up across the country. Montgomery's loss is part of a broader pattern. Red Lobster has been shedding locations since emerging from bankruptcy, and the closure of its original Columbus, Ohio, location after 55 years signaled that no restaurant, however historic, was safe from the chopping block. The chain's financial troubles did not materialize overnight. A lawsuit alleged that Thai Union, the seafood conglomerate that once held a major stake in Red Lobster, used the Endless Shrimp promotion as a self-dealing scheme to boost its own shrimp sales at the chain's expense. Whether that legal battle yields accountability remains an open question, but the damage to Red Lobster's balance sheet is already done. The spokesperson's statement, with its vague reference to "unique operating conditions", offers no clarity to Montgomery diners or employees. It does not say whether the lease was up, whether foot traffic had dropped, or whether the location was losing money. It says nothing at all, dressed up in the language of corporate strategy. That lack of transparency fits a pattern. Red Lobster's post-bankruptcy comeback faces a long road, and the company has offered little public detail about how it decides which restaurants survive and which get a fresh coat of paint before the locks change. Montgomery loses another anchor while corporate speaks in riddles. The headline reference to a "struggling mall" near the Eastdale Circle location points to a broader economic reality in parts of Montgomery and cities like it across the country. When chain restaurants pull out of mid-sized markets, they leave behind empty storefronts, fewer jobs, and communities that feel the retreat of national brands as a verdict on their town's viability. Red Lobster's remaining customers in the River Region will now have to drive to the next-closest location, wherever that is. The company did not address what happens to the employees at the Eastdale Circle restaurant or whether they would be offered transfers. Meanwhile, state-level shrimp labeling legislation has targeted chains like Red Lobster over their reliance on imported seafood, adding regulatory and reputational pressure to a brand already fighting for survival. September 6 is less than two weeks away. The paint is still fresh. When a company spends money making a restaurant look new and then shuts it down before the paint dries, customers are right to wonder whether anyone at headquarters has a plan, or just a spreadsheet and a press release. Capital digest. Receive information on new articles posted, important topics and tips. Capital Digest won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

Thurston County restaurant is getting a speakeasy. Plus, seafood eatery closes. August 28, 2026 5:30 AM Gift Article Key Takeaways AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom. Drive up and down Interstate 5 near Tumwater, and you've probably seen Kingswood Village, a new apartment building that opened in December. In fact, if you use the pedestrian bridge that crosses the freeway in the area, you run right into it. Kingswood is home to 181 units spread across five floors, said A.J. Heath on Thursday, the regional manager for Grandview Management, the operator of the building. The 181 units range from studios to the largest style: a two-bedroom, two-bath unit with a den. In terms of square footage, the units start at 418 square feet and increase to 1,027 square feet. The market-rate rents range between $1,475 and $2,495, he said. The building is 41% occupied, Heath said. But it's more than just apartments. It has a lounge, a gym - with 24/7 access - a basketball court, a rooftop game room and perhaps the most interesting feature: a rooftop recreation area with life-size chess and a pickleball court. During Capital Lakefair, residents were able to watch fireworks from the rooftop, Heath said. The building has secured access, and was designed in such a way that when the rains return, residents do not have to go outside to deal with garbage. Instead, they can send those bags down an internal rubbish chute. And Amazon and other packages are held in a "package pending" room that also has secured access, he said. Red Lobster in Olympia finally closes. The Red Lobster restaurant on Martin Way in Olympia, long targeted for closure to make room for a Chick-fil-A, has finally shut its doors, according to a check of the property on Thursday. A sign was affixed to the front door. "To our Olympia Red Lobster guests," the sign reads. "With grateful hearts, we say goodbye. After 30 years of proudly serving the Olympia community, Aug. 23, 2026, will be our final day of operation." The proposed Chick-fil-A will be the second location in Olympia and third overall in Thurston County. Major renovation underway at Lacey steakhouse. Ricardo's Kitchen and Bar, the Lacey steakhouse that Shane and Jennifer Holland purchased five years ago, is in the middle of a major renovation, said Shane on Thursday. They want the space to have a new, immersive vibe, so it's being designed to give it a Prohibition-era feel, including a plan to turn a former wine room into a "speakeasy" where customers can enjoy a late-night Manhattan or old fashioned, he said. "The goal is to provide more of an experience by stepping back into time, and feeling something more than just having dinner," Shane said. Other touches: the existing bar will open into a community space in the existing building called The Hub. Diners currently can see kitchen staff through a big window, but that's going to be turned into a "theater" of sorts. The curtain will open at 5 p.m. so that diners can see the restaurant in action, and then the curtain will close at 9 p.m., he said. They also plan to reopen with a new executive chef. They don't plan to make major changes to the menu - you'll still be able to get steak, chicken, fish and pasta dishes - but it will be more seasonal throughout the year, he said. The reopening date isn't set just yet, but he is aiming for a date toward the end of September. Follow the renovation on Ricardo's Facebook page. Hear Dick's Drive-In CEO at chamber event. Jasmine Donovan, president and CEO of Seattle-based Dick's Drive-In, is the keynote speaker at the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce's 2026 Future of Work Summit in October, the organization announced. According to a news release, Donovan's keynote will explore what happens when employers stop viewing workforce challenges solely as a search for better employees and begin asking a different question: How can we become better employers? "While Dick's may be best known for burgers, its workforce practices offer lessons that extend well beyond the restaurant industry," the release reads. "The company has built a reputation for investing in wages, health care, childcare support, scholarships and advancement opportunities, including a promotion-from-within model in which every store manager begins as a crew member. Among its workforce investments, a childcare program has achieved a 94% retention rate among participants." The summit is set for 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, at Saint Martin's University in Lacey. Tickets are $85. To register for the event, visit members.thurstonchamber.com. Local. August 21, 2026 5:15 AM August 14, 2026 5:15 AM August 7, 2026 5:15 AM If you know of a retailer, restaurant, coffee shop or other business that is opening, closing, expanding, remodeling, or changing its focus, send an email to reporter Rolf Boone at [email protected]. The Olympian Rolf has worked at The Olympian since August 2005. He covers breaking news, the city of Lacey and business for the paper. Rolf graduated from The Evergreen State College in 1990. Support my work with a digital subscription

New York, Huntsville, Palm Desert: which Red Lobster locations are closing in 2026? See complete list. In June, Red Lobster shuttered its Times Square restaurant after 23 years, leaving Manhattan without a single Red Lobster location. Here's the full list of Red Lobster locations getting shut down in 2026. Published 28 Aug 2026, 08:29 AM IST Red Lobster continued to shrink its footprints in 2026 following bankruptcy. According to Inc. report, the seafood chain's footprint has shrunk to approximately 540 restaurants across the United States (US), down from over 700 before its bankruptcy. According to a court filing, reported by Bloomberg, Red Lobster leased 687 locations and spent $190.5 million on lease obligations in 2023 alone before bankruptcy, with many of the leases priced above market rates. Guest traffic fell about 30% between 2019 and 2024. In May 2024, Red Lobster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, closing more than 100 locations that year after its "Ultimate Endless Shrimp" promotion contributed to an estimated $19 million loss. Notably, earlier this week, Red Lobster announced it was bringing back the same promotion following a successful April test. It revived the shrimp promotion in April as a limited-time offer while the struggling chain looks to lure diners. Red Lobster's oldest continuously operating restaurant, located in Tallahassee, Florida, closed in May after 56 years in business. The company called it "a special place in Red Lobster's history" that had "been a meaningful part of the community for decades." The same day, the chain also closed locations in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Overland Park, Kansas, and Independence, Missouri. In June, Red Lobster shuttered its Times Square restaurant after 23 years, leaving Manhattan without a single Red Lobster location. According to Inc., the company cited ongoing construction that hurt access and foot traffic, along with the building's planned conversion into residential apartments as key factors in the change. Which Red Lobster locations are closing in 2026? Inc. confirmed the following closures for 2026: New York. > 582 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10036 Alabama. > 300 Eastdale Circle, Montgomery, AL 36117 > 1030 Montgomery Highway, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216 > 2583 N Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32303 Pennsylvania. > 935 Wayne Avenue, Chambersburg, PA 17201 > 1502 Scranton Carbondale Highway, Scranton, PA 18508 Kansas. > 9475 Metcalf Avenue, Overland Park, KS 66212 > 2011 SW Wanamaker Road, Topeka, KS 66604 Missouri. > 4328 S Noland Road, Independence, MO 64055 Connecticut. > 4485 Main Street, Bridgeport, CT 06606 Georgia. > 1425 13th Street, Columbus, GA 31901 Louisiana. > 6051 Bluebonnet Boulevard, Baton Rouge, LA 70836 Michigan. > 4109 Wilder Road, Bay City, MI 48706 Texas. > 8401 Gateway Boulevard W, El Paso, TX 79925 Minnesota. > 2925 White Bear Avenue, Maplewood, MN 55109 California. > 1525 S Bradley Road, Santa Maria, CA 93454 (set to close) > 72291 CA-111, Palm Desert, CA 92260 (set to close) Huntsville Red Lobster, located on University Drive near Memorial Parkway, will also close on September 6, according to FOX54. Home news BCL India news New York, Huntsville, Palm Desert: which Red Lobster locations are closing in 2026? See complete list.