Seafood restaurant closing 23 stores across the country, including this one near Columbia

Midlands fans of Red Lobster’s endless shrimp and Cheddar Bay biscuits now have one less location to visit.

Red Lobster, the long-running national seafood restaurant chain, has closed its location at 1270 Knox Abbott Drive in Cayce. It is one of nearly two dozen Red Lobster locations that are closing as the company continues to work through bankruptcy proceedings.

“This location is closed,” said a sign on the door of the Knox Abbott Drive Red Lobster when a reporter stopped by on Monday morning. “We look forward to serving you at another Red Lobster location in the future.”

Red Lobster closed more than 100 restaurants earlier this summer amid bankruptcy proceedings, CNN reports. The company said in court filings late last week that intended to close another 23 units across the U.S., including the Cayce location. The Cayce spot was the only South Carolina location on that most recent list of closures.

There remain roughly 500 Red Lobsters in the U.S., including one on Two Notch Road in northeast Columbia.

Red Lobster started in 1968 in Lakeland, Florida, and grew precipitously through the years, adding locations across North America. It has long been known, naturally, for its seafood offerings such as lobster, popcorn shrimp, crab legs, salmon and more.

The company filed for bankruptcy in May, and a CNN report at the time said the seafood chain had more than $1 billion in debt.

The Cayce Red Lobster has been located, for years, in a busy commercial corridor not far from downtown Columbia. Other nearby businesses and retailers include Krispy Kreme, McDonald’s, Walmart Neighborhood Market and Oceanview Seafood, among others.