Over the last several months, I have seen any number of stories about the troubles the iconic seafood chain Red Lobster is facing, and it kind of makes me sad.
I have wonderful memories of my family’s trips to Evansville when I was a kid. Sure, that doesn’t sound like much of a big deal now, but when we were kids, my sister and I loved visiting a bigger city. And it’s just about 40 miles away, so our Saturday night “getaways” were borderline frequent.
Troubled Red Lobster Is Still a Personal Nostalgia Hit
One spot we would often visit was the Red Lobster on Bellemeade Avenue, and it’s still there. That was the first Red Lobster I ever visited, so I get a little nostalgic whenever I pass it today. (Of course, in context, an empty parking lot isn’t exactly the best of optics, but that is not the Indiana location currently the chopping block.)
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No, this Evansville Red Lobster remains safe, and besides, I seldom drive by there when it’s open that I don’t see a full lot.
But a Red Lobster in Michigan City IS on the chopping block, according to CBS News, and is joined by 22 others, including three in Illinois–in Peoria, Bourbonnais, and Geneva–plus more in nearby Missouri and Ohio.
Why Red Lobsters Are Closing
Red Lobster’s woes have long been documented. Forbes reports that as far back as 2014, owners began making efforts to sell the chain. And on May 19th of this year, Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy after shuttering nearly 100 of its locations the previous week.
The answers to why the chain is closing so many locations might very well be subjective, but Forbes takes aim at a possible cause: MONEY. I’d say it’s a solid educated guess.
My family was never wealthy; we were the epitome of the middle class. Yet, we found ourselves dining at Red Lobster frequently in the 80s. But today, it’s quite possible that Red Lobster is considered a luxury; I mean, a typically VERY expensive menu item IS in its name. And Americans’ financial issues have been well-documented, of late.
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Whatever the cause, Red Lobsters are closing right and left–129 and counting, as a matter of fact. And it remains to be seen when the bleeding will stop.
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BEECHER CITY, Ill. (WAND) – Farms were damaged in Effingham County Wednesday evening when a powerful storm swept through at around 8 p.m.
The McKay Farm in Beecher City was heavily damaged when the rapidly moving storm hit.
“Two buildings were totally destroyed,” Dan McKay told WAND News on Thursday. “We’ve got five grain bins and they’re all damaged.”
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The buildings collapsed onto farm equipment and a semi that were parked in the structures. A utility pole was snapped and ripped out of the ground.
In nearby Shumway, another farm was hit. A barn collapsed, with a grain bin being ripped apart and debris traveling several hundred feet through a nearby corn field. A house on the property was also damaged.
Powerful tornadoes leave behind devastation in Illinois – CBS News
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Violent tornadoes ripped through central Illinois on Wednesday, leaving behind swaths of destruction. One man described how he shielded himself and his family from the storms. Rob Marciano reports.
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Multiple rounds of severe storms impacted central Illinois on Wednesday bringing damaging wind gusts and very heavy rain. Our area was sparred from the worst of the tornadoes, but areas south of I-72 were not so fortunate with damage to homes and injuries reported.
An outflow boundary from our morning storms struggled to get any further north than highway 136, which was about 30 miles south of what was anticipated early this morning. This kept the risk of strong tornadoes just south of our local region, though we still had plenty of rain and instances of large hail and gusty winds roll through central Illinois.
The worst of the wind came with the storms in the morning. As the severe storms moved through the area they produced measured gust of 60-70 mph with localized gusts estimated to be around 80 mph. The winds resulted in tree, powerline, and structural damage from Knox through McLean County.
Storm Reports
Galesburg – Tree and power line damage Williamsfield – Roof partially torn off building Princeville – Tree damage Dunlap – 60 mph wind gust Bellevue – 60 mph wind gust Germantown Hills – Trees down Roanoke – 60 mph wind gust El Paso – Power poles snapped El Paso – Multiple semis and campers rolled on I-39 Gidley – 70 mph wind gust Chenoa – Semi rolled on I-55
