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TGI Fridays

Operations

Inside Ray Blanchette's plan to revive TGI Fridays

 By Joe Guszkowski on Mar. 31, 2025

The former CEO of the casual-dining chain is back in the driver’s seat and ready to lead the chain out of bankruptcy and into a new era.

Financing

TGI Fridays sells 19 restaurants out of bankruptcy

 By Joe Guszkowski on Feb. 03, 2025

The casual-dining chain sold the locations to two franchisees, including former CEO Ray Blanchette’s Sugarloaf Hospitality.

Financing

TGI Fridays closes 30 more locations

By Joe Guszkowski on Jan. 30, 2025

The casual-dining chain, which filed for bankruptcy in November, has lost about half of its U.S. footprint over the past year.

Financing

TGI Fridays franchisee to acquire bankrupt restaurants for $34.5M

By Joe Guszkowski on Jan. 02, 2025

Cancun-based Mera Corp. outbid former Fridays’ CEO Ray Blanchette for a group of nine locations, including five at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, according to reports.

Financing

Former TGI Fridays' CEO makes an offer for bankrupt restaurants

By Joe Guszkowski on Dec. 06, 2024

Ray Blanchette’s Sugarloaf Concessions bid $30.5 million for nine locations of the casual-dining concept, including its high-volume outlets at DFW Airport.

Workforce

TGI Fridays layoffs violated WARN Act, lawsuit says

By Joe Guszkowski on Nov. 14, 2024

Two employees said they were let go without proper notice when their restaurants closed last month ahead of the casual-dining chain’s bankruptcy filing.

Financing

5 lessons from the TGI Fridays bankruptcy

By Jonathan Maze on Nov. 07, 2024

The Bottom Line: The casual-dining chain’s bankruptcy declaration was a long time coming, the latest evidence in what has been a brutal market for sit-down restaurants.

Marketing

TGI Fridays needs to get its bad rep back

By Peter Romeo on Nov. 07, 2024

Restaurant Rewind: Once a true convention smasher, the casual-dining pioneer gradually sanded away the quirks and irreverence that made it saucier than anything the industry had seen before. Here’s a reminder of what it once was.

Financing

Why TGI Fridays filed for bankruptcy

By Jonathan Maze on Nov. 06, 2024

A Deeper Dive: Senior Editor Joe Guszkowski joins the Restaurant Business podcast to discuss the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing of the venerable casual-dining chain, and what it says about the industry.

Financing

How TGI Fridays' long party came to a close

By Joe Guszkowski on Nov. 04, 2024

COVID-19 was the final straw for the bar and grill pioneer, which became at least the third casual-dining chain to file for bankruptcy this year. But its problems started well before the pandemic.

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