TGI Fridays is no longer a Colorado resident.
The Dallas-based casual-dining bar-and-grill chain said Wednesday that it is closing 36 “underperforming locations” as “part of the brand’s ongoing growth strategy,” including its two remaining Colorado restaurants. TGI Fridays also sold eight previously corporate-owned restaurants in the northeast to its former CEO Ray Blanchette.
“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,” said Ray Risley, the company’s U.S. president and COO, in a statement.
As of this week, TGI Fridays’ Longmont location at 125 Ken Pratt Blvd. and Denver bar and grill at 8104 Northfield Blvd. have permanently shuttered. There are no other TGI Friday restaurants in Colorado listed on the company’s website.
The 60-year-old chain, which is often credited for helping to create the concept of the “singles bar,” also closed restaurants in 11 other states, including New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York, Texas and Florida. Before the closures, TGI Fridays had more than 270 locations worldwide.