TGI Fridays has closed 16 of its UK restaurants, putting 456 employees out of work. The American-inspired casual dining chain's remaining 33 restaurants will continue to operate after the business was sold in a rescue deal. Interpath was appointed as administrator to Liberty Bar and Restaurant group, which managed the operations of TGI Fridays' UK restaurants, on Tuesday. TGI Fridays' business and assets were immediately sold to a company owned by Sugarloaf, the manager of the global TGI Fridays brand. Some 1,384 jobs were safeguarded in the deal, administrators said. Over summer 2025, casual and fast-food restaurants saw a 6% drop in customers compared to the previous summer, according to research from Worldpanel by Numerator. In December, trade body UKHospitality warned the hospitality sector could lose a further 100,000 workers as a result of the Autumn Budget. The government has said it is "protecting pubs, restaurants and cafés with the Budget's £4.3bn support package". Last month, the High Street food chain Leon said it will close 20 restaurants and cut jobs as part of a major restructure. Its co-founder said he believed the company had drifted from its core values under EG and Asda's leadership, and also cited internal challenges, changing work patterns driven by the Covid pandemic and tax increases – all of which have affected the broader hospitality sector.
BBQ - Should the government do more to support the hospitality sector or do businesses need to improve their strategy?
