After confusion with former employees who questioned the validity of a report of impending closure, the Red Lobster at 555 S. Van Dorn Street is permanently closed.
The international seafood chain revealed in court last month that it would not renew leases at 23 unprofitable locations, and that the Alexandria restaurant was among those that would close on Aug. 31, according to the Washington Business Journal.
The website for the Alexandria location now lists the restaurant as closed.
Red Lobster bought the 73,000 square-foot parcel of land in 1977 for $438,000, according to land use records. The most recent assessment of the property was conducted in January and lists the value of the building at $1.3 million and $5.1 million for the land, for a total value of $6.4 million.
In June, Alexandria Living Magazine reported that the restaurant was in danger of closing unless it could renegotiate its lease. The company is now positioning itself to sell to Fortress Investment Group, according to the Washington Business Journal.
Red Lobster closed about 100 locations after declaring bankruptcy in May. The first Red Lobster opened in Lakeland, Florida, in 1968, and there are more than 500 locations around the world.
