When I was in college, TGI Friday’s was my go-to favorite place to eat out. Yes, my palate has become more refined over the years, but I still occasionally get a craving for one of their burgers, cobb salad, or Cajun alfredo pasta. If you hear yourself saying “same,” you might want to check on your local Friday’s. Why? They recently abruptly shut down six of their Massachusetts locations.
Why TGI Friday’s Suddenly Shuts Down
The company made an announcement yesterday saying that it was closing not only six restaurants in Massachusetts, but 36 of their locations across the country. Why? They said that the stores closing were all underperforming locations.
Which locations are affected
If you frequent any of the following locations, I’m sorry to tell you, you’re out of luck. The Massachusetts locations now closed are: Dedham, Danvers, Mansfield, Seekonk, North Attleboro, and Marlborough. There is also a location in Amherst, New Hampshire that is also closed. And there was no warning. For example, if you went to the Dedham location, you saw the sign on the door that said, “We regret to inform you that as of Jan. 2, 2024, this Friday’s location has closed.”
TGI Friday’s – The Aftermath
According to Friday’s website, there are seven remaining locations in Massachusetts. They include: Boston, Braintree, Dartmouth, Everett, Methuen, Millbury, and Stoughton. What about the employees? Well according to a report by WCVB, a spokesperson said that “more than 1,000 transfer opportunities are being offered to employees of affected locations nationwide. But according to someone they spoke to who has worked at one of the locations for over 20 years, he was not offered another position. He also said that they called him on New Year’s Day to give him the news. Damn. What a way to ring in the new year!
I have to tell you, none of this comes as a surprise to me. Besides my college visits to Friday’s, my goddaughters, and nieces and nephews loved Friday’s so we went there A LOT. I definitely noticed a decline in every way. The food wasn’t as good. The service got pretty bad. And it just wasn’t worth the price anymore. That said, let’s take a trip down memory lane and rank Friday’s apps. Keep in mind, this is just my personal opinion of the ones I’ve had and loved in the past. RIP Friday’s, you definitely had a good run, but I’m sure this is the beginning of the absolute end. Anyway, here are my 5 favorite TGI Friday’s apps.
