TGI Fridays plans to close 36 restaurants across 12 states, including one in California.

The series of planned closures was announced Wednesday in a press release that highlighted the chain’s growth strategy, which included closing “underperforming” restaurants across the nation. Among them was a Fresno TGI Fridays at 1077 E Herndon Ave.  

“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,” chief operating officer Ray Risley said in the statement. The press release added that more than 1,000 employees will be offered the option to transfer.

California TGI Fridays restaurants didn’t take a hard hit compared to other states, based on a closure list shared with SFGATE. New Jersey had seven TGI Fridays closures, followed by Massachusetts with six closures and New York with five closures. Other states with closures included Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.  

TGI Fridays, which is best known for its loaded potato skins, has announced other store changes both pre- and post-pandemic. Last year, the chain had multiple closures across Massachusetts and Texas, while also opening international stores.