Is an Ohio influencer to blame for 'destroying' Red Lobster? Fox News might think so

Red Lobster recently announced it plans to close another 23 restaurants, including one in Ohio , bringing the total of locations it's closing across the country to 129. Is a social media influencer from Ohio to blame?

Fox News might think so. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), user Sir Yacht shared a clip from Fox News with a message that reads, "Being blamed for destroying Red Lobster on national news was not on my bingo card."

Ohio influencer eats endless shrimp at Red Lobster all day for TikTok video

The Fox News clip uses one of Sir Yacht's TikTok videos as an example of how Red Lobster's endless shrimp promotion — one of the reasons being cited for the restaurant chain's bankruptcy — can be abused.

In the video from May, Sir Yacht -- who is from the Cleveland area -- takes advantage of the all-you-can-eat promotion to eat shrimp all day at a Red Lobster in North Olmsted. He says in 10 hours he consumed 200 pieces of shrimp for a total of $25, before tipping.

However, he says he wasn't sent there to "finish the job." He just likes eating shrimp and wants to continue eating at Red Lobster. He encourages others enjoying endless shrimp to "eat a regular amount."

Red Lobster closing another 23 restaurants, including one in Ohio

As its bankruptcy proceedings continue, Red Lobster, based in Orlando, Florida, announced it was closing another 23 restaurants in a court document filed Aug. 22 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida.

That total includes the restaurant in Strongsville, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. It is the first Red Lobster in the state to be closed because of this bankruptcy.

Why did Red Lobster file for bankruptcy?

Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy on May 19, after it closed dozens of locations and announced plans to "drive operational improvements" by simplifying the business, according to USA TODAY. Court documents show the bankruptcy was primarily due to significant debt, a carousel of CEOs, an all-you-can-eat shrimp fiasco and a 30% drop in guests since 2019.

Red Lobster closures across the county

According to court documents, Red Lobster has a list of 228 rejected leases it said would keep losing money if they continued operating as they were, USA TODAY reports. Some had already closed, meaning the company could lose 129 restaurants.

With the closure of the 23 locations listed in last week's court filing after 106 restaurants closed earlier this summer , that total count is accurate.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Is an Ohio influencer to blame for 'destroying' Red Lobster? Fox News might think so