TGI Fridays Shutters 36 UK Restaurants, Over 1,000 Jobs Lost

TGI Fridays has announced that it has shuttered 36 of its restaurants in the United Kingdom, causing more than 1,000 people to lose their jobs.

Nation’s Restaurant News is reporting that after private equity firms Breal Capital and Calveton U.K. jointly purchased 51 of the 87 TGI Friday’s locations listed for sale by former U.K. master franchisee Hostmore PLC, the casual dining business TGI Fridays has been spared for the time being in the United Kingdom.

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While the remaining 51 U.K. locations of the American brand managed to save around 2,400 jobs, the other 36 stores were promptly closed, resulting in the unemployment of 1,012 employees.

The hospitality union Unite Hospitality, located in the United Kingdom, asserts that employees were not told about the company-wide Zoom call, were locked out of their stores, and were not informed of the imminent closures. It was also stated that workers were not told if they would be paid.

“The news today marks the start of a positive future for our business following a very challenging period for the casual dining sector as a whole,” Julie McEwan, CEO of TGI Fridays UK, said in a statement. “We are devastated for our colleagues who will be leaving TGIs and thank them for their loyalty and contribution during their time with us. We are doing everything possible to retain our team and support those impacted.”

TGI Fridays Closed Stores in the United States, Too

Earlier this year, TGI Fridays also closed 36 stores in the United States. The restaurants targeted were underperforming in their market in specific U.S. locations, according to a press release.

More than 1,000 transfer options were provided by the restaurant chain to its workers, accounting for over 80% of those affected.

Along with revealing the unexpected closures, the Dallas-based firm said that eight corporately owned restaurants in the Northeast would be sold to Ray Blanchette, the outgoing CEO who left in May of last year.

The transaction came after efforts to bolster TGI Fridays’ executive team, including the appointment of Ray Risley as president and chief operating officer of the United States, Weldon Spangler as chief executive officer, and Nik Rupp as chief financial officer and president and COO of international operations.