TGI Fridays set to close another location after 36 companywide closures — and the city has already found a replacement

ANOTHER TGI Fridays is set to close its doors following a company-wide shutdown.

Despite surviving a recent wave of company-wide closings, TGI Fridays’ downtown Buffalo location at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Buffalo-Downtown is closing.

The Buffalo, new York location has already found a replacement for the restaurant after its closure.

Buffalo Hotel Associates LLC, an affiliate of Visions Hotels Inc. and owner of the Holiday Inn, has informed the city of Buffalo of its intention to apply for a liquor license at the 601 Main St. location.

A paralegal at the law firm representing the company confirmed that a new restaurant will replace TGI Fridays.

Additionally, on April 19, Donovan Real Estate Services listed the space as available for lease on or before June 30, 2024, with 30 days’ notice.

ADDED TO LIST

This location isn’t the only TGI Fridays that closed its doors last year.

TGI Fridays announced the closure of 36 underperforming stores in 12 states in January 2024.

According to CEO Weldon Spangler, these sudden closures are part of the restaurant chain’s efforts to streamline operations and “revitalize the Fridays brand.”

Along with the closings, TGI Fridays announced it will sell eight of its previously corporate-owned restaurants in the Northeast to Ray Blanchette, the company’s former CEO.

In relation to store closures, TGI Fridays states that it is offering “more than 1,000 transfer opportunities” to employees in affected locations.

This offer covers more than 80% of the workforce impacted by the closures.

Prior to these closures, TGI Fridays operated 650 restaurants worldwide.

Meanwhile, there are 237 locations across the United States.

OLD PLACE CLOSES DOORS

Following the company’s announcement about the closure of several restaurants, TGI Fridays is closing another location.

Fans were disappointed to discover that the only TGI Fridays in Mentor Ohio – about 30 minutes from Cleveland – permanently closed its doors last week.

The closed establishment, located at 7814 Reynolds Road, was confirmed by a TGI Fridays spokesperson speaking to the local Fox affiliate. WJW.

Guests enjoyed their final meals on May 14, according to the representative.

Mentor city officials told local reporters that there are no immediate plans for another company to occupy the space.

The closest TGI Fridays to Mentor is now approximately 30 miles away in Brooklyn.

Additional TGI Fridays locations in Northeast Ohio include Canton, Stow and Strongsville.

Meanwhile, the Taco John’s restaurant in Marshall, Minnesota – about an hour and 30 minutes from Sioux Falls, South Dakota – has closed and the building is for sale.

And a Tex-Mex chain filed for bankruptcy and closed 11 of its restaurants in April.