TGI Friday's Rockville Pike Location Closes: Report

ROCKVILLE, MD — Amid the fallout from TGI Friday's filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early November, the Rockville Pike location of the casual dining chain has closed, a report said.

The MoCo Show first reported that the TGI Friday's restaurant at 12147 Rockville Pike, in the Pike Center, has closed permanently as of Tuesday. The last remaining Montgomery County location at 12281 Tech Road in the White Oak area is still open.

The bankruptcy affects the parent company of TGI Friday's, which operates 39 restaurant chains, and not the franchisees that control the remaining locations. The company said in a statement that it has secured financing so that all restaurants will operate as usual during the bankruptcy proceedings.

TGI Friday's had 270 restaurants as recently as last year, but that number shrunk to 163 after 36 locations were shuttered in January and dozens more closed last month.

Two locations in Maryland — one in Bowie and the other in Columbia — were among the shuttered restaurants, according to a USA Today report.

Founded in 1965 in Manhattan as a cocktail bar and restaurant, TGI Friday's expanded over the decades to become a ubiquitous suburban gathering spot known for its ribs, potato skins topped with cheese and bacon, and a decor bedecked with red stripes and Tiffany-style lamps.

Its empire peaked in 2008 with 601 restaurants in the U.S. and a $2 billion business, according to Kevin Schimpf, director of industry research at Technomic. Its sales in the U.S. were $728 million in 2023, down 15% from the prior year, according to Technomic.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.