Red Lobster names new CEO as Horace Dawson retires

Welcome to Orlando Business Journal's weekly LinkedIn newsletter. I'm Managing Editor Susan Lundine, rounding up Orlando business news to keep you in the know when time is short.

Orlando-based restaurant chain Red Lobster on March 21 named Jonathan Tibus — an industry veteran known for short stints and quick turnarounds at national restaurant chains — as its new CEO, a mere six months after the prior CEO took the top spot.

Tibus plans to work closely with outgoing CEO Horace Dawson, who is retiring, he said in a prepared statement.?Neither of them was available immediately for comment.

Meanwhile, it’s been six months to the day since Dawson was announced as Orlando-based Red Lobster’s CEO. From 2014 to 2023, Dawson was Red Lobster's executive vice president and general counsel. He worked at Red Lobster for 21 years and will step down at the end of March.?

See the full story here.

And now, on to other big business deals, transactions and activity headlines from the week.

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Real estate news of the week

• Aldi completes Winn-Dixie deal, announces plans for 800 new stores: Here's what to know about how the now-completed sale of Winn-Dixie to Aldi will mean for the grocery market in metro Orlando — and the other big plans.
• Former Coca-Cola bottling plant could find new use: Here's what is planned at the downtown site.
• Best Buy to close some stores. Will Central Florida be affected? Here's what to know about the electronics retail giant's footprint in metro Orlando following news it will close at least 10 stores nationwide this year.

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Orlando news bites

Don't miss these other top stories:

• Walgreens to cut hundreds of local jobs: Here's what is next for the company.
• Why Orlando was named best US city for sporting events: Our ability to attract and host events outpaced the other NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS and Major League Baseball cities. Here's how we got there.
• $418M settlement disrupts real estate commissions: Here's how commissions for home sales will change in a big way, say experts.

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Restaurant news & notes

Check out the latest news on popular local places to eat and drink:

• ‘Orlando's Best BBQ' winner swaps food truck for brick and mortar: Named Top 3 Best BBQ by readers of Orlando Sentinel in the 2024 Foodie Awards, Tyler Brunache’s smoked meats have won an avid following.
• Celebrity chef/James Beard winner lines up local foodie events: She has hosted dinners at her Disney Springs restaurant Eet by Maneet Chauhan.
• Torchy's Tacos sets opening date for Winter Garden restaurant: Here's when the popular taco chain will open its second area eatery — and where a third location is in the works.

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Nominations & Events

Things to put on your busy calendar:

• Sign up for The Future of Cities 2024 online event. The series examines national trends affecting U.S. cities. Tune in as we sit down with futurist, urbanist and author Richard Florida to better understand the challenges and opportunities reshaping America. Event date: March 25.
• Register now for the 2024 Women Who Mean Business awards celebration where we will honor Central Florida's 2024 women of distinction. Event date: March 27.
• Nominate for the 2024 Best Places to Work. Deadline: April 5.
• Register now for the 2024 Doing Business in Seminole County event that will feature business leaders from both the private and public sectors for the 2024 Seminole County panel discussion, EXPO and networking. Event date: May 2.
• Register now for the 2024 40 Under 40 Awards celebration and networking event as we honor the top professional Central Florida "up and comers." Event date: May 22.
• Nominate for the 2024 Inno Under 25 awards, a recognition of the top founders, entrepreneurs, innovators and leaders under age 25. Deadline: May 23.
• Nominate for the 2024 Veterans of Influence, recognizing military veterans who have made a significant achievement in their careers in the past year, have a strong record of innovation or outstanding performance in their work, and are involved in our community. Deadline: May 30.
• Nominate for the 2024 Most Influential Leaders, which will recognize outstanding Central Florida executives who use their cachet to better the region. Deadline: June 20.

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That's all for this week's top headlines, and thanks for supporting OBJ.This weekly round-up of Orlando business news was compiled by Susan Lundine, managing editor. Questions? Comments? Concerns? News tips? Send them to [email protected].