TGI Fridays Relaunching Brand in UK on July 4 Following Disastrous Closures & Bankruptcy

TGI Fridays is relaunching in the United Kingdom on July 4 — Independence Day in the United States — following a series of disastrous closures and a very public Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.

According to MCA Insight, the relaunch follows Breal Capital and Calveton’s 2024 acquisition of the UK franchise of TGI Fridays, which prevented the closure of 51 outlets.

According to Simon Wilkinson, board director and operational partner for TGI Fridays and the Evolv Collection, CEO Julie Mcewan is spearheading the brand’s revitalization and collaborating with the team to halt its slide.

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“TGI Fridays has had a tough time over the last few years,” he said in a LinkedIn post. “We acquired the business back in October and rescued it out of administration. Such processes are tough, when people should be praising the investors for putting their own money into rescuing a much-loved brand the contrary happens, and you get criticised for not saving certain locations and having to make redundancies. The good guys become the bad guys, but that’s the reality and having a thick skin helps. The team [has had] to put up with a lot of flak, negativity and energy sapping noise.”

He continued, “However, we as a collective are going to try our hardest. Under the leadership of Julie Mcewan, the team [is] working their socks off to reverse the decline and reposition the brand.”

Inside the Plan To Revitalize TGI Fridays

The brand’s revitalization plans were first revealed in December 2024, a month after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Ray Blanchette, who began his career as a manager at TGI Fridays, is working on the Stateside redevelopment plans. He was the CEO of the chain from 2018 until 2023, when its candy-colored drinks and specials dominated its bar scene. Blanchette, who owns eight TGI Fridays restaurants, claims to know what it takes to bring the restaurant back to life.

“This isn’t rocket science. You have to sell people a good time,” Blanchette said to the outlet at the time. “We sell experiences, not groceries.”