TGI Friday’s reportedly quietly closed dozens of its restaurant locations last week as it prepares to file for bankruptcy protection.
As first reported by CNN, the company’s store locator site currently lists 164 stores in the United States, down from the 213 stores that were open last week.
The sudden closure comes after the value restaurant chain closed 36 “unprofitable” restaurants in 12 U.S. states in January. TGI Fridays said at the time that the move was part of its “ongoing growth strategy.”
TFI Fridays did not immediately respond to CBS MoneyWatch’s request for comment on last week’s restaurant closure. The company has not released a list of closed stores.
Local news reports recently revealed the locations of restaurants affected by the recent wave of closures.
TGI Friday venues in Bridgewater and Watchungu in central Jersey have suddenly closed, according to mycentraljersey.com. Another store in Middletown Township, Pennsylvania, also closed, according to local news reports. Additional local reports indicate restaurants in California, New York and Ohio are also affected.
The Dallas-based casual dining pioneer has struggled to execute on its growth plans as customers on tight budgets increasingly prefer lower-priced meals. They even ridicule the prices of fast food giants like McDonald’s as too high.
More from CBS News
Megan Cerullo
