Yes, the one on Harbor and Garden Grove Blvd! It was their predecessor Seafood Broiler. I believe the founders who sold that concept to Red Lobster went on to launch Market Broiler. The thing is those restaurants were always decently busy because of the promotions, constant commercials for new menu items etc. My most recent employer had Red Lobster in the immediate vicinity of several stores and I've been able to watch the rapid decline from decent crowds outside the door waiting for their table (and a clogged parking lot that I'm getting yelled at about by customers as if I could do anything about it, people are amazing sometimes), to dead and even closed like that Oceanside one.Bagels wrote: ↑April 21st, 2024, 1:39 am In fairness, Red Lobster was never that big in SoCal. I’m thinking that it could not compete with plethora of fresh seafood as well as Asian restaurants throughout the area. California Fish Grill is a better product IMO, although it’s not sit down.
We sometimes go to the location in Garden Grove. It was the first place we visited when I first went to California as a kid… hasn’t really changed much all these years later. The specials are a great buy but the menu is so so. I really don’t want to pay over $30 (tax and tip) for a plate of fried shrimp and baked potatoe. .
I agree there seem to be better all around choices even though I'm not into seafood but they served a purpose as a reliable chain where you could find consistent food. When that consistency goes away as is widely reported to have happened that is what kills chain restaurants fast. Usually cost cutting by new ownership or management focused on increasing profits over customer satisfaction is the culprit.
Chain restaurants are getting a lot of flack in the news and it is misdirected. Comments like "people don't eat at big chains anymore" or "people don't eat at sit down restaurants anymore" yet you see plenty of growth at newer concepts that deliver consistently good service and quality even if it isn't necessarily of luxurious quality (see Texas Roadhouse growth for example). And of course you seldom see any restaurant site sit empty for long unless there was something wrong with the actual site instead of previous occupant.
The mismanagement of some chains has been incredible. Look at PF Changs under their new private ownership in 2012. They've been passed from firm to firm like a football already and the entire brand has been completely destroyed. This was a brand known for such consistent food and service that even in the Asian community where Americanized chains are questioned, it had an outstanding reputation for quality and surprising authenticity of many dishes. For many years they bragged that they were one of the only restaurant companies to have never had a location go out of business. Of course now they're a shadow of themselves with closures everywhere and neglect at those that remain open after the usual "value extraction" from these moronic firms that have botched every aspect of the operation. Horrible Panda Express quality food in puny portions. In fact on a busy day at lunchtime when the steam table is getting restocked every few minutes I'd argue Panda is now better than PF Changs which should be shocking to anyone who has observed the growth and descent of their business. Waiting for a PF Changs bankruptcy. Maybe these private equity firms are good somewhere, but they are not any good for retail, restaurants, or hospitality. They do not see any value in people, and people are what makes the retail, restaurant, and hospitality businesses run successfully.
BTW I don't eat seafood so if I'm going it's always with friends or family, and that means I don't go to these seafood places that don't offer some beef or chicken dish for those who don't like fish. So something like CA Fish Grill who doesn't offer anything like even a basic chicken dish wouldn't be a place I'd go at all. It's a bad decision on their part because I would not complain about something like so-so quality or overpriced chicken fingers as long as they are edible if it meant I could be included. But all these new fast casual fish places are totally fish only from what I've seen with nothing for non fish eaters, or vegetarians etc. And that will limit their growth substantially as they get ruled out when some groups are picking a restaurant. Even In-N-Out has their "grilled cheese" for vegetarians.