TGI Friday’s Future

TGI Fridays unit count is plunging. The brand's website now lists 164 open restaurants in the U.S., down from roughly 225 that were operating in September when bondholders seized control of the company's assets.

The casual dining chain's executive shakeups and strategy shifts have not stanched the bleeding, and the chain is reportedly eyeing bankruptcy after a prospective merger with its UK franchisee, Hostmore, fell through.

I would love to see a much better restaurant go into Breaker’s. How about a non chain??

I vote for Chili's, or Applebees. Or if they want to go upscale a bit more: Outback Steakhouse.

Perhaps they can put Bay Harbor in there.

Which will give them room to the put the spike in for Sirens’s Curse 2 in 2025.

I've been going to that Friday's at Breakers since it opened, because of location, view, and lack of other options when staying at Breakers. Each and every time, the service and food have both been horrid, including the most recent time I was there in August at the end of the night. The bartender was unconscionably and repeatedly unbelievably rude, not to mention inattentive, she obviously didn't want to have to take care of another customer toward the end of the night, and the chicken tenders were hard as a rock, difficult to cut through with a knife and felt like a jawbreaker when I tried to chew them. It's not always that bad, but it's always bad. I won't miss it one bit if it closes. Hopefully they'll replace it with something that doesn't suck.

I am surprised it is still there at this point. I thought for sure they would change to a different brand years ago, and even more when Friday's left Castaway back in 2014.

Plague on Wheels:

I vote for Chili's, or Applebees.

Replace microwave crap with more microwave crap. Great strategy. You do know that non-franchise restaurants are a thing, right?

When that dump opened, Friday's was a big deal, and they opened it with a limited menu. The idea was to adjust for the size and volume of the location. This was universally panned, and I seem to recall some drama with the corporate entity about it. Eventually they had most of the menu, but at jacked prices.

The casual dining segment was in trouble even before the pandemic. Fast-casual was handing them their ass, and they've been in a high-discount, low-quality, low-margin and crappy service downward spiral for years. Then the pandemic happened, and after rage dining, people realized they would rather get delivery or takeout, and that microwave crap is even worse when it sits for 15 minutes in a plastic container.

The outlier is the Darden brands, which counterintuitively don't even do delivery. I don't get it. My former neighbor works for them in marketing, I should ask him what the special sauce is. Asian and TexMex concepts seem to be the growth spots. A solid bar/brewpub also seems to anchor the winners.

I think Plague was (at least I hope) making a joke and not actually serious about Chili's or Applebee's. Either way, I'm in agreement they should replace it with a home-grown restaurant. They've thankfully been heading that way lately it seems so it would be great to see what their new executive chef can do!

There are several chains that have more elevated food than the norm: Cheddar's, BJs, Bonefish Grill, Bar Louie, Ri Ra, Ford's Garage, etc. would work in that space. Beyond that (and I've said this innumerable times over the years) a Margaritaville fits perfectly, at least from a tonal standpoint if not a culinary one.

Other than that? BDubs.

Come on everyone, Hooters please.....we all know its coming to The Point....

I am hoping for a Popeyes/Taco Bell/Pizza Hut/Dunkin combination like they have at truck stops. Everyone is a winner with that set-up.

The fanciest place I have ever eaten is Red Lobster. Cheddar Bay biscuit dipped into a Jumbo Lobsterita, chef's kiss! Fingers crossed we'll get one of those on the peninsula someday. A restaurant that has a waterfront view should have unlimited shrimp scampi somewhere on the menu ;)

Jeff:

Replace microwave crap with more microwave crap. Great strategy.

Was thinking the same thing. I was really hoping TGIF would've been replaced by something more upscale during the Breakers overhaul 10 years ago.

Upscale or not, it needs to be a place where they don’t mind a seasonal schedule. Or a schedule where they’re only open when the hotel is.
A bartender at that Fridays once told me Breakers was the busiest location in the nation- for 3 months only.

RCMAC, I've heard the same thing. And more than once.

No chains please. They can do it in-house, they just need to make the effort. Miller's Table at Sawmill is a nice place.

I know it's a pipe dream, but get Small City Taphouse / CLAG in there. I would love a spot that stays open later and focuses on a more adult / nightlife type thing. CLAG could run kegs back and forth from their spot downtown and I have to imagine they would literally sell as much beer as they could possibly produce.

Shades:

Everyone is a winner with that set-up.

Except for the people who have to clean the restrooms.

BWW has gone down the tubes entirely, and Wingstop is eating their lunch (and dinner).

Chuck Wagon:
They can do it in-house, they just need to make the effort. Miller's Table at Sawmill is a nice place.

I think this, probably, if they can serve at scale, which is a different muscle. The only issue with Miller's is that the menu is incomplete. You have to cover categories so there's something for everyone, and as a non-red meat or seafood person, it has holes. Pricing is a little high there, but oddly, they're practically giving away the alcohol.

Sidebar: They seem to be getting cocktails right at Miller's and some of the park locations. You can tell when they have decent base spirits as well as a variety of liqueurs and juices in the bar. Like, the good stuff, not Captain and Malibu.

Certainly room for improvement on the dinner side, but also the breakfast side. Is Perkins still there? They should get both spaces redone into homegrown restaurants that fit the location and serve a solid breakfast as well as dinner. It does feel tacky to have a big chain sitting in the historic hotel.

The Future might not be so bright.

TGI Friday's has Filed for Bankruptcy

The main issue with Perkins is how early they close it now, I guess it wasn't doing so well open for dinner?

I fully agree that something more in house might be the key here, maybe a place that's a breakfast buffet then sit down for lunch/dinner? Quality wise I think it can be ~ at pub level and be a home run.