{"id":804,"date":"2026-05-30T11:08:45","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T11:08:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=804"},"modified":"2026-05-30T11:08:45","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T11:08:45","slug":"red-lobster-closing-times-square-location-after-23-years-this-was-a-difficult-decision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=804","title":{"rendered":"Red Lobster closing Times Square location after 23 years: ‘This was a difficult decision’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Red Lobster is calling it quits in NYC. <\/p>\n

The seafood chain will permanently close its flagship restaurant in Times Square on June 14, ending a 23-year run in one of the world\u2019s busiest tourist destinations, WABC reported on Friday.<\/p>\n

Read more Pete Hegseth says US is ready to restart strikes on Iran if no deal is reached<\/a><\/p>\n

Red Lobster officials said years of construction at the restaurant\u2019s address \u2014 5 Times Square \u2014 on the corner of 41st Street and Seventh Avenue have kept customers away and turned the once-bustling location into one it could no longer afford to operate.<\/p>\n

\u201cTimes Square has been an important chapter in Red Lobster\u2019s history, and this was a difficult decision,\u201d Red Lobster said in a statement. \u201cExtensive and prolonged construction at the building has significantly impacted access, visibility, and foot traffic at this restaurant.<\/p>\n

\u201cGiven those conditions, along with the building\u2019s planned conversion to residential use, continuing to operate at this location was no longer viable.\u201d<\/p>\n

All employees at the Times Square location will be offered transfers to other Red Lobster restaurants and additional pay to help with the transition.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are grateful to the team members and guests who have made this restaurant special over the years,\u201d the statement continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll team members are being offered the opportunity to be transferred to the Red Lobster location of their choice and to receive additional pay to support them through this transition.\u201d<\/p>\n

The closure marks the end of Red Lobster\u2019s only NYC location.<\/p>\n

Since opening in 2003, the sprawling restaurant occupied a prime corner of Times Square, serving tourists, office workers and theatergoers while acting as a showcase location for the national chain.<\/p>\n

The restaurant also became known for splashy promotions, including a one-day free lobster giveaway in 2023.<\/p>\n

Read more Yankees\u2019 offense keep things rolling against A\u2019s for fifth straight victory<\/a><\/p>\n

In 2024, the Post reported that the owners of 5 Times Square asked for an annual rent of $2.2 million as the three-level, 16,482 square-foot space scrambled to remain open. <\/p>\n

Employees were previously told that the eatery wasn\u2019t on the chopping block, describing the location as a \u201chigh-performing store.\u201d<\/p>\n

The shutdown comes as Red Lobster continues to recover from its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in May 2024.<\/p>\n

More than 100 locations have closed in recent years as the company works to cut costs. The Times Square restaurant was already on a list of locations the company warned could be at risk during the bankruptcy process.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Since emerging from Chapter 11, Red Lobster has said more underperforming restaurants could still face closure.<\/p>\n

The Orlando-based chain ended 2025 with more than 500 restaurants nationwide and $1.56 billion in sales, down 6.2% from the previous year, according to Restaurant Business citing Technomic data.<\/p>\n

Just last week, Red Lobster confirmed that its oldest continuously operating restaurant, in Tallahassee, Fla., closed on Sunday, May 24 after 56 years in business.<\/p>\n

Read more What will it mean if Trump takes this Iran deal?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Red Lobster will close its Times Square flagship restaurant and only New York City location on June 14 after 23 years, citing years of construction, reduced visibility and declining foot traffic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":803,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business"],"yoast_head":"\nRed Lobster closing Times Square location after 23 years: 'This was a difficult decision' - Metro Transit Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=804\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Red Lobster closing Times Square location after 23 years: 'This was a difficult decision' - 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