View Full Version : TGI Fridays closed?
PPreu
11-02-2013, 01:00 PM
Just heard through a Facebook friend, that TGI Fridays closed. Anyone else heard anything?
Yes it is. Saw a report on the web.
gomoho
11-02-2013, 01:08 PM
wow - are you talking about their Lake Sumter location??? that place was always packed.
janmcn
11-02-2013, 01:39 PM
There is a very short article about this in The Villages on-line news website. All it basically says is employees were notified of the closing Friday morning.
Bonny
11-02-2013, 01:55 PM
They were told at an employee meeting this morning. Apparently a new owner will open in 2 weeks.
DougB
11-02-2013, 02:29 PM
Fridays closes and Havana stays open! The inhumanity of it all.
njbchbum
11-02-2013, 02:31 PM
They were told at an employee meeting this morning. Apparently a new owner will open in 2 weeks.
a new restaurant and owner or a new owner of the lsl friday's restaurant?
Skip2MySue
11-02-2013, 02:33 PM
6 of us went there last week for dinner and opened the front door and the music was blasting. If it was that loud in the front door area we couldn't even imagine what it would have been like to sit at a table trying to enjoy dinner and carry on any sort of conversation. Walked across to Cody's and enjoyed a nice social evening. Still sorry that we missed out on the chicken bruschetta :cry:
Skip 2
Buckeye
11-02-2013, 02:50 PM
Darn!!!!!
That was one of my favorite restaurants!
I loved their appetizers!! And Soup and Salad!
Thnonne
11-02-2013, 03:00 PM
We just ate there last night (Friday Nov. 1) at about 5 pm. Everything was fine and nothing was said about it closing.
CHESTERFIELDROSE
11-02-2013, 03:30 PM
Really Cody's is quieter TGIF's fined that hard to believe. There is no where quiet here right now.
Challenger
11-02-2013, 03:42 PM
6 of us went there last week for dinner and opened the front door and the music was blasting. If it was that loud in the front door area we couldn't even imagine what it would have been like to sit at a table trying to enjoy dinner and carry on any sort of conversation. Walked across to Cody's and enjoyed a nice social evening. Still sorry that we missed out on the chicken bruschetta :cry:
Skip 2
Why is it that virtually all establishments with "live" music allow decibel levels that are dangerous to your hearing?
If you cannot hold a conversation with the person next to you at a table, then the noise level is too high. Many folks will not patronize establishments with very high noise. We didn't frequent TGIF, but wonder if that might be a contributing factor.:MOJE_whot:
Bonny
11-02-2013, 03:46 PM
a new restaurant and owner or a new owner of the lsl friday's restaurant?
Not sure. My friend who works there said the new owner was handing out business cards this morning and said they would be open in 2 weeks. If it was staying a Fridays, can't imagine why it would take 2 weeks.
Bonny
11-02-2013, 03:47 PM
We just ate there last night (Friday Nov. 1) at about 5 pm. Everything was fine and nothing was said about it closing.
They didn't tell anyone. It was a shock to the employees. :(
red tail
11-02-2013, 04:14 PM
I ate there last night and our server knew about it and said the employees had been given a 'heads up' by mgmt. he told us it would be announced today. and I see now that it was.
Villager Audio Video
11-02-2013, 04:31 PM
Hope it's a TGIF, I'd really miss the cajun pasta and the always delicious vanilla bean cheesecake
elevatorman
11-02-2013, 04:34 PM
I just called and the person that answered said this location is closed permanently. No plans for another rest. to open. 352 259-0443
Bonny
11-02-2013, 04:39 PM
I just called and the person that answered said this location is closed permanently. No plans for another rest. to open. 352 259-0443
I would think they aren't allowed to say anything. Like I said, the employee said they met the new owner. We shall see. I assume if it's anything, it would be a sports bar.
Bill32
11-02-2013, 06:30 PM
Gee rumors, rumors.......I remember someone posting this last year now it is a fact....
justjim
11-02-2013, 06:47 PM
I remember the music being too loud the two times we were at Friday's LSL. Wonder why---not like that other TGIF'S. Lease too high or whatever!
blueash
11-02-2013, 09:05 PM
Just a heads up for everyone. TGIF in LSL is closed as of tonight.
Edit: Apologize to the forum for a duplicate thread. I did not see the earlier thread on the same topic when I posted.. Moderator you may delete or merge
Happinow
11-02-2013, 10:06 PM
Haven't been there yet. Bad food? Poor location? That's a shame. Something else will go there.
peggyb
11-02-2013, 10:26 PM
It was always so dark it never looked open.
billethkid
11-02-2013, 10:34 PM
Just a heads up for everyone. TGIF in LSL is closed as of tonight.
No big surprise given the service...lack thereof.....long waits in empty restaurant.....only to get cold in edible food.....staff standing around talking.....no surprise.
Shame on the owners......a cherry location for business.
They must be stupid as the formula for a successful food establishment is too easy.
And please don't someone intimate it was the rent TV charges!!!
btk
l2ridehd
11-03-2013, 05:32 AM
When they first opened they were really good and better then most Fridays. Good food, good service, no noisy bands. Used to go there often. Then about a year ago they changed management, several good people left, and the place went downhill. Service and food got worse, noise grew to the point I wouldn't go there, and now they have closed. Classic business model failure.
mulligan
11-03-2013, 06:26 AM
And please don't someone intimate it was the rent TV charges!!! ......Too late someone did in another thread.
gomoho
11-03-2013, 06:56 AM
No big surprise given the service...lack thereof.....long waits in empty restaurant.....only to get cold in edible food.....staff standing around talking.....no surprise.
Shame on the owners......a cherry location for business.
They must be stupid as the formula for a successful food establishment is too easy.
And please don't someone intimate it was the rent TV charges!!!
btk
Are we talking about the same TGIF in Sumter Landing??? Everytime we went there or passed by it was packed. Never had a bad experience either. Can't imagine for the life of me why it closed.
Billethkid - you must be confusing this with the Havana post!
Moderator
11-03-2013, 07:00 AM
There were two threads on this topic...they have been merged together so posts will appear in chronological order.
gmracket
11-03-2013, 07:23 AM
The accoustics in TGIF was very bad. You couldn't carry on a conversation because it was so noisy. Restaurants usually close because of management? Never went there that much but sorry it closed. I know a lot of people really liked it.
villages07
11-03-2013, 07:28 AM
There was an article in the Local section of today's paper. It implied this was a TGIF corporate decision and not necessarily a reflection of the local outlet or its volume of business. The Villages commercial property guy was quoted as saying it won't take long to find another tenant for such a desirable location.
Too bad, we didn't go there often but liked the menu and the food. Will have to use my 'free entree' stripes reward at another location I suppose.:mmmm:
PaPaLarry
11-03-2013, 08:19 AM
Apparently, something was wrong there, even if you liked it or not!! Hopefully, new owners will fix problem, or change into another type restaurant, that will survive.
Tweety Bird
11-03-2013, 08:50 AM
Why is it that virtually all establishments with "live" music allow decibel levels that are dangerous to your hearing?
If you cannot hold a conversation with the person next to you at a table, then the noise level is too high. Many folks will not patronize establishments with very high noise. We didn't frequent TGIF, but wonder if that might be a contributing factor.:MOJE_whot:
Always bring ear plugs. You can slip them in partially and save your hearing. I bring them for loud movies, loud performances, and chatty people and crying babies in planes.
Challenger
11-03-2013, 10:16 AM
Ear plugs provide protection- Do nothing for conversation while eating which is usually the reason for going to a restaurant.:mornincoffee:
BobAllen1290
11-03-2013, 10:31 AM
Not sure. My friend who works there said the new owner was handing out business cards this morning and said they would be open in 2 weeks. If it was staying a Fridays, can't imagine why it would take 2 weeks.
Just the transfer of their state liquor license could take two weeks..or two months.
curly top
11-03-2013, 11:05 AM
Just heard through a Facebook friend, that TGI Fridays closed. Anyone else heard anything?
It's CLOSED. Short article in paper today states it closed yesterday without any prior warning to employees.
TGI Friday's at LSL was jointly owned by the Carlson Companies of Texas, The Villages (Yup!) and Joe Nisbitt & Bill Kearns (operators of Bonifay CC and Evans Prairie CC).
The sudden closure looks pretty fishy. Must be a good story here for The Daily Commercial or The Orlando Sentinel.
Skip
graciegirl
11-03-2013, 12:02 PM
TGI Friday's at LSL was jointly owned by the Carlson Companies of Texas, The Villages (Yup!) and Joe Nisbitt & Bill Kearns (operators of Bonifay CC and Evans Prairie CC).
The sudden closure looks pretty fishy. Must be a good story here for The Daily Commercial or The Orlando Sentinel.
Skip
Come on Skip. Spill the beans. At least tell us what you think happened. You are always somehow up on the inside information.
scarecrow1
11-03-2013, 02:48 PM
Why is it that virtually all establishments with "live" music allow decibel levels that are dangerous to your hearing?
If you cannot hold a conversation with the person next to you at a table, then the noise level is too high. Many folks will not patronize establishments with very high noise. We didn't frequent TGIF, but wonder if that might be a contributing factor.:MOJE_whot:. Boy are some of us getting old!! What ever happened to "drugs,sex and rockinroll"
BobAllen1290
11-03-2013, 05:33 PM
One poster mentioned that it was a "corporate" decision. Has anyone paid any attention to the advertising for TGIF? They are driving all their ads towards a 21-40 demo with emphasis on singles and couples. TV doesn't even come close to that demo, and in many businesses these days money is not money if it doesn't hit their target demo. Cadillac & Lincoln clearly no longer target their ads to the TV demo which they did for years and years. It is possible that TGIF's closed this outlet with plans to open another one in an area that fits it's target demo.
spk7951
11-04-2013, 10:04 AM
Apparently "business decision" is sounding more like a plausible reason. In doing a web search I found the following TGI Friday closings this year:
October - Bismarck, ND
August - Knoxville, TN
April - several Arizona locations were closed
Apparently "business decision" is sounding more like a plausible reason. In doing a web search I found the following TGI Friday closings this year:
October - Bismarck, ND
August - Knoxville, TN
April - several Arizona locations were closed
The Villages Gourmet Club website mentioned those closings too, plus one in Houston, TX.
Skip
golf2140
11-04-2013, 01:19 PM
We went to TGF often. Service was sometimes good, sometimes slow.
Roadrunner66
11-06-2013, 02:31 PM
Why would one of the most successful restaurants (volume wise) in Sumter Landing close up so abruptly? Is there more to this story? Can't help but wonder if the lease was up and the rental renewal terms demanded too much of a percentage of the profits? Surely it could not have been that! Must have been just poor management of the revenue receipts. If so, it is a shame. Wish the new occupants better success.
Bogie Shooter
11-06-2013, 02:43 PM
Why would one of the most successful restaurants (volume wise) in Sumter Landing close up so abruptly? Is there more to this story? Can't help but wonder if the lease was up and the rental renewal terms demanded too much of a percentage of the profits? Surely it could not have been that! Must have been just poor management of the revenue receipts. If so, it is a shame. Wish the new occupants better success.
welcome to TOTV.
Did you read the previous posts...............Corporate Business Decision!
John_W
11-06-2013, 03:00 PM
We ate at Fridays twice and both times in the bar so I can watch the sports on TV. When we go to Outback or Chilis and eat in the bar it's usually packed. At TGIF both times we were the only people in the bar. So obviously business wasn't that great.
Where I lived in Maryland we had a steakhouse near us called 'Lonestar', it was usually packed and we ate there at least once a month. About 2010 the chain closed that location along with about 30 others, I believe they had about 350 locations. As soon as it closed, Buffalo Wild Wings came in and put a restaurant there. So one man's thrash and another man's treasure.
kittygilchrist
11-06-2013, 03:02 PM
not reading it all, just saying I went there recently. the food and service were lacking. why can't people run a decent restaurant?
justjim
11-06-2013, 03:25 PM
Went to Friday's in September---true the music was loud and difficult to have table conversation. As I remember the service and food was okay.
A night or two later we went to Bonifay and the noise level there was high just from the customers. It seemed that everybody was trying to "out talk" the other person in the rather large group near by. Thinking about this----actually its difficult to find a reasonably quite place at any of the busy restaurants in TV. I guess that is just the nature of going out to eat in TV.
Challenger
11-06-2013, 03:41 PM
Went to Friday's in September---true the music was loud and difficult to have table conversation. As I remember the service and food was okay.
A night or two later we went to Bonifay and the noise level there was high just from the customers. It seemed that everybody was trying to "out talk" the other person in the rather large group near by. Thinking about this----actually its difficult to find a reasonably quite place at any of the busy restaurants in TV. I guess that is just the nature of going out to eat in TV.
The Country Club Restaurants in TV have universally very poor sound management. Bonifay seems to my sensitive ears to be the worst and actually limits our desire to visit.
Bogie Shooter
11-06-2013, 03:46 PM
Went to Friday's in September---true the music was loud and difficult to have table conversation. As I remember the service and food was okay.
A night or two later we went to Bonifay and the noise level there was high just from the customers. It seemed that everybody was trying to "out talk" the other person in the rather large group near by. Thinking about this----actually its difficult to find a reasonably quite place at any of the busy restaurants in TV. I guess that is just the nature of going out to eat in TV.
And a lot of folks with hearing loss.........................
red tail
11-06-2013, 03:49 PM
I wonder why all the complaints are from south of 466? its rare to hear a complaint from Spanish springs. it might be the folks down there are a tad younger than north of 466.
LndLocked
11-06-2013, 07:16 PM
I wonder why all the complaints are from south of 466? its rare to hear a complaint from Spanish springs. it might be the folks down there are a tad younger than north of 466.
It has been my observation that this brd is dominated by the south of 466 crew. A lot of them (IMO) only seem to be vaguely aware of the existence of TV in the northern hinterlands .... and the historic side is not even a thought.
I do agree that the demographics north of 466 are older.
As for TGI Fridays .... I never darkened the door of the LSL one. In fact I have not been to one of their locations in 20 years plus. The never out grew the "fern bar" thing.
golf2140
11-06-2013, 07:44 PM
It has been my observation that this brd is dominated by the south of 466 crew. A lot of them (IMO) only seem to be vaguely aware of the existence of TV in the northern hinterlands .... and the historic side is not even a thought.
I do agree that the demographics north of 466 are older.
As for TGI Fridays .... I never darkened the door of the LSL one. In fact I have not been to one of their locations in 20 years plus. The never out grew the "fern bar" thing.
Smoke what !!!!!
LndLocked
11-06-2013, 07:57 PM
Smoke what !!!!!
Reading comprehension probs?
sonny1g
11-06-2013, 09:52 PM
Yes it is closing and I hear the owner's of Evan's Prairie will be moving into this space and opening it up as a steak house.....
Bonny
11-06-2013, 11:13 PM
I wonder why all the complaints are from south of 466? its rare to hear a complaint from Spanish springs. it might be the folks down there are a tad younger than north of 466.
Margarita Republic is definitely loud. McCalls, especially on Blues and Boogies night, extremely loud. Doesn't get much louder than Katie Belles, especially on the weekends. But, it's all good to me. Just living the dream and enjoying life while I still can !!
graciegirl
11-07-2013, 05:33 AM
Why would one of the most successful restaurants (volume wise) in Sumter Landing close up so abruptly? Is there more to this story? Can't help but wonder if the lease was up and the rental renewal terms demanded too much of a percentage of the profits? Surely it could not have been that! Must have been just poor management of the revenue receipts. If so, it is a shame. Wish the new occupants better success.
T.G.I. FRiDAY's Closures - Bing (http://www.bing.com/search?q=T.G.I.+FRiDAY%27s+Closures&FORM=QSRE1)
http://www.bing.com/search?q=tgi+friday%27s+closing+restaurants&qs=OS&sk=SS1PA1OS1&pq=tgi+fridays+closing&sc=8-19&sp=4&FORM=QBRE&cvid=060a987f461b4f72a18d858f9a821361
DougB
11-07-2013, 06:46 AM
Yes it is closing and I hear the owner's of Evan's Prairie will be moving into this space and opening it up as a steak house.....
Smokey Bones would be good!
elainecohen
11-07-2013, 06:56 AM
Sorry to hear it. Hope new owner does well there. Maybe turning the music down a bit might help bring in more people.
elainecohen
11-07-2013, 06:58 AM
Wow....great idea! Now we can only hope a good sit down Chinese restaurant will also come to the Villages. Bamboo Bistro is very good but far. We need one down here near LSL and Brownwood.
elainecohen
11-07-2013, 06:59 AM
It's amazing the Fridays closed and Tierra Del Sol is still there with the BAD attitude toward the customers.
Bogie Shooter
11-07-2013, 08:29 AM
It's amazing the Fridays closed and Tierra Del Sol is still there with the BAD attitude toward the customers.
see post #56
njbchbum
11-07-2013, 09:12 AM
Wow....great idea! Now we can only hope a good sit down Chinese restaurant will also come to the Villages. Bamboo Bistro is very good but far. We need one down here near LSL and Brownwood.
Bamboo Bistro is not far from those of us who live in the historic neighborhoods! And that's a good thing! :)
ilovetv
11-07-2013, 09:24 AM
I always thought the location of TGI Fridays here is good for all the newcomers and newbies, to see places they recognize from home like Barnes & Noble beside it and the airport shuttle station. In a new place it's good to see familiar places where you know what you'll get.
I hope the new restaurant there is a recognizable name and that they don't play deafeningly loud music. People like to be able to converse over dinner. Plus, the overbearing loud music grates on the workers who have to strain to hear every word the patrons try to communicate to them.
Thinking more about this, why is there no good cocktail piano playing at a couple of bars here? This is musicians' paradise with lots of professionals who play unbelievably well.
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