You remember it well. The smell of burgers, the oversized milkshakes, the way they accosted you on your birthday. TGI Friday’s has been a staple of UK high streets for nearly 40 years, but today (October 8) it’s been revealed that many of the chain’s restaurants will be closing.
Following several weeks of uncertainty, Breal Capital and Calveton UK have stepped in to rescue TGIs in the UK. However, they aren’t saving all branches. A total of 51 will be saved, while 35 will close.
It’s always a shame when beloved brand outposts close, but if you’re a regular person it can be difficult to cut through the jargon and actually understand what’s going on. That’s what we’re here for.
We’ve got everything you need to know about TGI Friday’s closures put right here in a simple, easy to understand way. Read on to discover what is actually going on with the diner chain.
RECOMMENDED: All the UK high street closures in 2024.
Why are TGI Friday’s closing?
Basically, the UK branch of the chain’s parent company, Hostmore, had planned to buy out the American TGI brand, but that fell through. This led a lot of investors to believe that the company was unable to remain competitive.
Following a period of uncertainty, a rescue deal has been announced from Breal Capital and Calveton UK. However, they won’t take over all TGI sites, and some will close.
On top of the top-level struggles, there’s the simple fact that people aren’t going to TGI Friday’s as much as they used to. UK sales at the chain apparently went down by more than 10 percent over the last year, and those sales are only continuing to decline. Following high inflation and the cost-of-living crisis, money is also still stretched for a lot of people, so they’re eating out a lot less. This has put a lot of slightly more upscale chains, such as TGIs and competitors like Wagamamas, under pressure.
Full list of UK restaurants closing down and when
These are all the TGI Friday’s restaurants closing across the UK. They all close with immediate effect today (October 8).
- Barnsley
- Birmingham
- Bracknell
- Brighton Marina
- Bristol Cabot Circus
- Cardiff Newport Road
- Chelmsford
- Cheltenham
- Croydon
- Derby
- Dundee
- Durham
- Edinburgh Fort Kinnaird
- Enfield
- Gateshead
- Gloucester Quays
- Halifax
- Jersey
- Leeds
- Leeds Trinity
- Leicester
- Lincoln
- Manchester Royal Exchange
- Newcastle Eldon Square
- Newport
- Northampton
- Prestwich
- Romford
- Sale
- Solihull
- Southampton West Quay South
- Speke
- Sutton Coldfield
- Swansea
- Watford North
The 51 restaurants saved
These restaurants have been saved by the rescue deal and will stay open.
- Bluewater
- Trafford Centre
- Meadowhall
- Aberdeen Union Square
- Metrocentre
- Basildon
- Glasgow Fort
- Milton Keynes Stadium
- Braehead
- Wembley
- Birmingham NEC
- Glasgow
- Junction 27
- Castleford
- Lakeside Quay
- Teesside
- Bolton
- Norwich
- St Davids
- Doncaster
- Lakeside
- Fareham
- Liverpool One
- Stevenage
- White Rose
- Cribbs Causeway
- Rushden Lakes
- Stoke on Trent
- Southampton
- Silverburn
- Watford Central
- Aberdeen Beach
- Braintree
- Bournemouth
- Stratford
- High Wycombe
- Cheshire Oaks
- Walsall
- Milton Keynes
- Sheffield
- Nottingham
- Edinburgh
- Coventry
- Ashton-Under-Lyne
- Telford
- The O2
- Staines
- Crawley
- Reading
- Cheadle
- Leicester Square
Reaction to the news
Julie McEwan, chief executive of TGI Fridays UK, said: ‘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. We would like to thank our team and our loyal guests for supporting us during this transition.’
Beloved British brands and Time Out
As the custodian of British city life with all its ups and downs, we at Time Out have up-to-date info about what’s closing, what’s new and everything in-between. Here’s the full list of UK high street stores closing in 2024, where the next UNIQLO store is opening and which Homebase stores are being replaced with supermarkets.
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