Another TGI Fridays Permanently Closes In Somerset County

WATCHUNG, NJ — TGI Fridays has permanently closed another longtime restaurant in Somerset County as the restaurant chain continues to dwindle.

The restaurant chain closed its location in Watchung in the Blue Star Shopping Center.

Lawsuits were also filed against TGI Fridays seeking back rent by the owners of the Somerset Shopping Center in Bridgewater and Blue Star Shopping Center in Watchung, according to mycentraljersey.com.

The Watchung location owes $95,276 for a lease that expires in April 2027 and the Bridgewater location owes $71,487 on a lease that expires in November 2027, according to mycentraljersey.

TGI Fridays has closed many of its locations since last year and is considering filing for bankruptcy, according to Bloomberg.

Several locations around the country, including Bridgewater and Cherry Hill, shuttered abruptly in recent days.

TGI Fridays removed the Watchung location from its website.

It's unclear how many employees are impacted. The chain's corporate office did not respond to Patch's questions in time for immediate publication.

In January, TGI Fridays announced the closures of 36 "underperforming" restaurants. While specific locations weren't listed, several in New Jersey, including Marlton's, closed around that time.

TGI Fridays is preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the near future, Bloomberg reported last week. The company blamed rising interest rates, heavy debt and increased competition, Bloomberg said.

The restaurant chain has not publicly revealed any bankruptcy plans as of Friday.

Watchung's restaurant was located at 1701 Route 22.

— With reporting by June Bakan

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