A seafood spot in the heart of Charleston's tourism district abruptly shut its doors and removed its signage after closing Thursday.

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. is dark and no longer exists at 99 S. Market St., next to the bustling City Market. Signs and menus posted outside have been taken down.

The Texas-based company issued a statement late Friday saying the restaurant's decision to depart was related to its lease arrangement.

"Due to a natural lease expiration, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. located at 99 S. Market St. ceased operations on Thursday, Aug. 8," chief operations officer Jim Default said. "We value our employees, their dedication to our company and are working to relocate them. We are grateful for the support of the Charleston community for the past 19 years.”

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Bubba Gump is part of Landry's Inc. of Houston, which owns and operates more than 600 multi-branded restaurants, hotels, casinos and entertainment destinations across the U.S.

The company has removed the Charleston location from its list of restaurant sites, which now shows 39 in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and other international locations.

+4 2 new restaurants open in Charleston area, another adding second location A North Charleston restaurant and bar is adding a second location while two other dining spots are now open in the Charleston suburbs.

The restaurant was located on South Market Street between other commercial businesses. The site includes a large outdoor seating area. The property is owned by First Citizens Bank & Trust Co., according to Charleston County land records.

Two seafood restaurants recently launched within a few blocks of the former Bubba Gump location. In the spring, Hooked Seafood opened on North Market Street and A.W. Shucks Seafood Shack started serving on lower King Street.