Red Lobster abruptly closed nearly 50 restaurants Monday blindsiding customers and restaurant employees.

Restaurant liquidator, TAGeX Brands, revealed that it is auctioning off kitchen items and furniture from the shuttered locations as part of its "largest restaurant equipment auction ever."

Inventory being auctioned off includes kitchen equipment, furniture, tables and chairs.

Red Lobster locations in Jacksonville, Orlando and Buffalo are listed as closed on their website.

In April the company weighed a possible Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing to restructure its debt.

Per Restaurant Business Online, the seafood chain, which has around 650 locations across the United States, has struggled in recent years due to leadership troubles and strategic missteps.

Thai Union Group made the decision to cut ties with Red Lobster and look for a buyer in January, according to the outlet, which reported that Red Lobster suffered a $33 million loss in 2022.

Last summer, Red Lobster launched a $20 all-you-can-eat shrimp deal which, although popular with customers, ended up costing the company over $11 million in one quarter.

Red Lobster has not released an official statement on the closures.

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Editor's note: WKRC contributed to this article.

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