On Monday, we reported that dozens of Red Lobster restaurants across the country, including both Montgomery County locations in Gaithersburg and Silver Spring, had abruptly closed. Contents of these restaurants are currently up for auction at www.restaurantequipment.bid.
The auctions are running now through Thursday, May 16 and items listed include furniture, kitchen equipment, and supplies. According to the website, “As of today, select Red Lobster locations are CLOSED. On our Restaurant Equipment marketplace, we are auctioning off 50+ locations across the country. These auctions are WINNER TAKES ALL – meaning, each winner will receive the ENTIRE contents of the Red Lobster location they bid on. Auctions are live and will end periodically on Thursday, May 16, 2024.”
Bill Darden opened the first Red Lobster restaurant in Lakeland, Florida in 1968. He would later go on to launch Olive Garden, too. At the time, there was a gap in the market for affordable seafood, especially in landlocked areas so Red Lobster’s mission was to serve “delicious, high-quality seafood” to the masses, according to the restaurant’s website. In 1992, the restaurant’s popular Cheddar Bay Biscuits were created.