Summary
TGI Fridays filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The once-popular sit-down restaurant has faced declining customer interest, reflecting a broader trend impacting casual dining. With just 163 U.S. locations—down from 269 last year—the chain has closed numerous outlets and seen U.S. sales drop to $728 million in 2023. While TGI Fridays operates only 39 U.S. locations directly, global franchised locations remain unaffected, with independent operators managing 461 restaurants across 41 countries under a separate franchising entity.
Chili’s has gone the same way. I don’t know why I expected anything different. I can be pretty naive at times.
I had the worst hamburger I’ve had in years. I remember wondering “how do you fuck up slapping ground beef on a grill? Oh… by nuking the burger and leaving out the ‘grill’ part.”
Needless to say, I’ll never go back, and be much more suspicious of chain restaurants in the future.