TGI Fridays Permanently Closes Bridgewater Location

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — TGI Fridays has permanently closed its longtime restaurant in Bridgewater as the restaurant chain continues to dwindle.

TGI Fridays has closed many of its locations since last year and is considering filing for bankruptcy, according to Bloomberg.

Several locations around the country, including Bridgewater and Cherry Hill, shuttered abruptly in recent days.

"We regret to inform you that Fridays has made the difficult decision to close our doors at Bridgewater effective Oct. 24," stated a letter on the doors of the restaurant. "We are extremely grateful to our loyal guests and our team members at our Bridgewater restaurant."

"Unfortunately, we do not have a nearby location but look for us in airports and other cities across the country," the letter concluded.

TGI Fridays removed the Bridgewater location from its website.

It's unclear how many employees are impacted. The chain's corporate office did not respond to Patch's questions in time for immediate publication.

In January, TGI Fridays announced the closures of 36 "underperforming" restaurants. While specific locations weren't listed, several in New Jersey, including Marlton's, closed around that time.

TGI Fridays is preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the near future, Bloomberg reported last week. The company blamed rising interest rates, heavy debt and increased competition, Bloomberg said.

The restaurant chain has not publicly revealed any bankruptcy plans as of Friday.

Bridgewater's restaurant was located at 395 Route 202 off the Somerville Circle.

— With reporting by June Bakan

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