Laid-off Red Lobster workers vent online after 50 locations abruptly close

• Red Lobster workers are letting out their anger online after losing their jobs without notice.
• More than 50 Red Lobster restaurants in the US closed this week amid financial troubles at the company.

Former Red Lobster workers are venting their anger online after the seafood chain abruptly laid off staff as it closed more than 50 restaurants.

"Red lobster just laid all of us off without notice," one person posted on X, adding that even the managers at their restaurant weren't told in advance.

The worker said they found out their restaurant had closed because they got a notification from their shift-scheduling app. Business Insider could not independently verify their employment at the chain.

Red Lobster, which The Wall Street Journal reported could file for bankruptcy protection as early as next week, closed dozens of its US restaurants this week.

TAGeX Brands, a liquidation company, said it was auctioning off equipment from more than 50 Red Lobster locations that had closed "as part of Red Lobster's footprint rationalization."

It's unclear how many workers lost their jobs.

Factors including expensive leases, its Endless Shrimp deal, and private equity involvement have all contributed to the chain's financial troubles.

One TikTok user said they lost their job when their restaurant, which appeared to be located in Georgia, closed this week. "If you work at Red Lobster, you need to start finding something else to do," they said.

On Reddit, someone claiming to have been a Red Lobster worker in New Jersey similarly advised other employees to "take your chance and jump ship." BI contacted the worker for further comment but didn't immediately hear back.

"We didn't even get an email, we checked our scheduling app and it just said we were closed and a number to call for benefits," the Reddit user, whose identity could not be verified, added.

Another Reddit user who claimed to have been a Red Lobster manager commented: "To do it after Mother's Day was probably the slimiest thing they could have done. Squeezed every last dime out of all of us. Shame on them."

But in comments on Red Lobster's Instagram page, some people said they wanted their jobs back.

As to be expected, content creators have already moved quickly to post about the chain's troubles.

One TikTok user posted a video of seafood-related puns related to the company's decline, while another person posted a satirical video bemoaning how Red Lobster was closing her two local restaurants "despite all the money I've given them."

"Please check on all your shellfish friends today," she said.

Were you laid off by Red Lobster? Contact this reporter at gdean@insider.com.