Darden Restaurants said today it will either spin off or sell Red Lobster one of its oldest and biggest brands. The Orlando based company also said it plans to stop building new Olive Gardens and to slow down growth at LongHorn Steakhouse.
By Sandra Pedicini Orlando Sentinel3 00 p.m. EST December 27 2013
Relax everyone. Your Cheddar Bay biscuits are safe.
Red Lobster is not closing despite Internet rumors about the chain's demise.
Owner Darden Restaurants has been trying to quash false reports since Christmas that Red Lobster is shuttering its restaurants across the country. Still on Friday afternoon Red Lobster closing was the No. 1 item trending on Yahoo and the rumor was the subject of multiple Tweets and Facebook posts.
Related Sandra Pedicini discusses Darden plans to split from Red Lobster Pictures Notable chains make their way to Orlando Pictures Closed for business Orlando area retail and restaurant closings Photos Open for business Orlando area retail and restaurant openings Pictures Eddie V's Prime Seafood Topics Restaurant and Catering Industry Darden Restaurants Inc.To clarify reports that RedLobster is closing are false the company tweeted out Friday. We're looking forward to your next visit
Darden said last week it plans to sell or spin off the Red Lobster chain into a separate company. But we never said we were closing any restaurants spokesman Rich Jeffers said Friday.
Jeffers said the rumors stem from a piece in LA Weekly that was clearly being facetious about the brand's shutdown. Other media outlets wrongly assumed the restaurants were closing and reported that he said.
You had a couple outlets where clearly folks weren't practicing good journalism and no one called to verify if what they read in LA Weekly was accurate Jeffers said.
The LA Weekly piece had been updated as of Friday to say no restaurants were closing.
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