TGI Fridays sparks major fears from fans as restaurant closures quietly continue

TGI Fridays has closed more than a dozen locations in the past month, including six this week.

The popular casual dining chain is the latest to struggle as Americans, frustrated by higher menu costs, choose to eat at home more. Other chains, including Red Lobster, Applebee’s and Hooters, have also closed locations.

Signs at TGI’s closed locations — focused on the East Coast, Southeast and Midwest — described the decision as “difficult” and directed customers to nearby restaurants.

The latest closures follow 36 ‘underperforming’ TGI locations closing their doors in January, and several more over the summer. There are now barely more than 200 left in the US.

The six most recent closures occurred in Leesburg, Virginia; Allentown, PA; Middletown, Poughkeepsie and Clifton Park, New York; and Enfield, Connecticut.

Other closures in the past month include restaurants in Charlotte, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; Big Chute, Wisconsin; Saginaw township, Michigan; Schererville, Indiana; and two locations in Minnesota: St. Louis Park and Edina.

The chain also closed two restaurants in May, including one in New Jersey and another in downtown Buffalo, New York.

TGI Friday’s has not commented on the latest closures.

But in May, US President Ray Risley said: “We have identified opportunities to optimize and streamline our operations to ensure we are best positioned to deliver on – and even exceed – that brand promise.”

TGI Fridays — which first opened in New York City in 1965 — had about 215 U.S. restaurants before these latest closures. It operates more than 650 restaurants in 51 countries worldwide.

When it was announced in January, TGI Fridays said the 36 would close immediately. At the time it did not call this one, but seven of those were also in New Jersey – the state hardest hit by the closures.

The US arm – known as TGI Fridays Inc – is expected to merge this year with Hostmore, which operates 89 TGI locations in Britain.

But the deal failed, as did the plan to set up a larger company with a stock exchange listing in London.

Casual restaurants like TGI’s and fast-food giants like McDonald’s have seen sales decline as Americans voted with their wallets in response to two years of menu price increases.

Hardest hit are the older, more traditional chains that have not modernized.

Red Lobster closed nearly 100 in May and filed for bankruptcy, while Applebee’s is closing 35.

BurgerFi’s latest bankruptcy filing was in September, prompting fears of mass closures of its 162 locations.

Hooters has closed about 40 restaurants this year

Meanwhile, in September it emerged that Hooters – known for its scantily clad waitresses – is the latest to face financial problems in dealing with $300 million in debt. It too closed about 40 “underperforming” restaurants earlier this year.

Chains have been hardest hit in California, where the minimum wage for fast-food restaurants rose to $20 an hour starting April 1.

In early June, Mexican chain Rubio’s closed 48 locations in the state and also filed for bankruptcy.

TGI did not respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.