TGI Fridays Closes Brick Location, 8th Shuttered In NJ In 2024

BRICK, NJ — TGI Fridays has closed its Brick Township location, according to reports, five months after it shuttered seven other New Jersey locations without warning.

The Brick restaurant, on Route 70 near Best Buy, closed permanently as of Sunday, WOBM.com reported.

In January the company announced it was closing 36 "underperforming" locations, including seven in New Jersey, as part of an "ongoing growth strategy" that included the sale of eight restaurants to a former CEO.

The TGI Fridays closures in January were not specifically announced and in some cases employees found out when they arrived at work to find locked doors. The sites permanently closed in January were Marlton, Iselin, Hackensack, Wayne, Eatontown, Springfield and Princeton. Restaurants in 12 states were affected.

"As we continue along our path of transformation to revitalize the Fridays brand and implement a long-term growth strategy, we see a bright future for TGI Fridays," Weldon Spangler, CEO of TGI Fridays, said in a news release in January. "We are at the helm of a pivotal moment that will allow us to explore boundless advancement, expansion, and innovation to keep delivering 'That Fridays Feeling' that our fans know and love."

"Our top priority has always been delivering a superior experience for each and every TGI Fridays guest, and we've identified opportunities to optimize and streamline our operations to ensure we are best positioned to meet — and exceed — on that brand promise," said Ray Risley, U.S. president and chief operating officer at TGI Fridays. "By strengthening our franchise model and closing underperforming stores, we are creating an unprecedented opportunity for Fridays to drive forward its vision for the future."

About 1,000 workers will lose their jobs as a result of the closures, but about 80 percent of them will be offered transfers within the company, the news release said.

It was unclear Monday whether additional closures were coming beyond the Brick location.

The chain has about 210 U.S. locations, with eight remaining in New Jersey, including ones in Toms River and Manahawkin.