Red Lobster Times Square Closure Set for June 14 at 5 Times Square
Red Lobster Times Square closure is set for June 14 at 5 Times Square, ending more than 20 years in Manhattan. The restaurant’s exit follows a run of prolonged construction that cut into access, visibility and foot traffic, leaving one of the chain’s most recognizable New York locations on a fixed countdown.
5 Times Square has been part of Red Lobster’s Manhattan presence since 2003. The company said the property’s planned shift to residential use made continued operations there no longer viable, turning a long-running location into a short-term leasehold rather than a lasting outpost.
5 Times Square loses a 2003 tenant
2003 marked the start of Red Lobster’s Times Square chapter, and June 14 ends it after more than two decades. The company described the move as a difficult decision and said, “Times Square has been an important chapter in Red Lobster's history, and this was a difficult decision.”
Red Lobster also said, “We are grateful to the team members and guests who have made this restaurant special over the years.” For workers and regular customers, that means the restaurant’s final service date is already set, with no indication that the location is being paused rather than closed.
Red Lobster after Chapter 11
2024 is the backdrop to the closure. Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy in May 2024 after closing dozens of restaurants nationwide amid mounting financial pressures, then later exited Chapter 11 under new ownership backed by Fortress Investment Group.
544 locations across 44 states and four Canadian provinces remained in operation at the time of the reorganization, and Damola Adamolekun took over as CEO after the deal. The Times Square closure has not been presented as part of a broader round of shutdowns, so the immediate issue is narrower: one flagship Manhattan site is being removed because the building’s use is changing around it.
June 14 is now the deadline for anyone tied to the 5 Times Square restaurant. For guests, that means the current Manhattan stop ends on a fixed date; for the chain, it leaves a visible gap in one of the highest-traffic parts of the city just as it is still rebuilding after bankruptcy.
