TGI Fridays closes 16 UK stores, with 456 job losses

TGI Fridays has closed 16 of its restaurants in the UK, leaving 456 staff unemployed.

The American-inspired casual dining chain’s remaining 33 restaurants will continue operating after the business is sold in a rescue deal.

Interpath was appointed administrator of the Liberty Bar and Restaurant group, which manages the operations of TGI Fridays’ UK restaurants, on Tuesday.

TGI Fridays’ business and assets were immediately sold to a company owned by Sugarloaf, which manages the global TGI Fridays brand. About 1,384 jobs are secured in the deal, executives said.

Phil Broad, Global Head of TGI Fridays, said: “We are working closely to explore all available options to secure the long-term future of TGI Fridays in the UK and believe this is the best outcome for the business, protects jobs and offers a strong platform for success and growth.”

Interpath managing director and joint administrator Ryan Grant said: “We are delighted to have been able to secure this transaction which will enable this well-known brand to continue trading across the UK.

“Whilst these are difficult times for hospitality operators generally, this marks an important step in TGI Fridays’ wider turnaround plan and establishes stable foundations from which it can begin to move forward.”

The 16 TGI Fridays sites that were immediately closed are:

-Ashton Under Lyne, Manchester

– Doncaster, South Yorkshire

– Staines, Surrey

-Stevenage, Hertfordshire

– Walsall, West Midlands

-Bournemouth, Dorset

-Telford, Shropshire

– Reading, Berkshire

-Coventry, Warwickshire

-Edinburgh, Scotland

– Crawley, West Sussex

– Aberdeen Beach, Scotland

-Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

– Sheffield, South Yorkshire

– Stratford, Greater London

– Braintree, Essex

Casual and fast food restaurants in summer 2025 A 6% decrease in the number of customers Compared to the previous summer, according to Worldpanel’s Numerator research.

In December, trade body UKHospitality warned that the hospitality sector could lose a further 100,000 jobs due to the Autumn Budget.

The government said it “protects pubs, restaurants and cafes with the Budget’s £4.3bn support package”.

High Street food chain last month Leon says he will close 20 restaurants and layoffs as part of a major restructuring.

Its co-founder said he believed the company had strayed from its core values ​​under the leadership of EG and Asda, and also cited internal challenges, changing business patterns and tax increases caused by the Covid pandemic; all of which have impacted the wider hospitality industry.

Leon’s management process comes next Pizza Hut’s UK operator, DC London Pie, announced it will close 68 restaurants and in October, 11 delivery facilities laid off more than 1,200 workers.

DC London Pie has been hit by a combination of “challenging trading conditions and rising costs”, including “tax-related liabilities”, administrators said.