Foodies have been left divided over the news that Hostmore, the parent company of TGI Fridays UK, has gone into administration . Hostmore, which runs the UK franchise for TGI Fridays, has appointed administrators and delisted its ordinary shares after struggling to find a “lasting solution” to save the business amid heavy losses and mounting debts, it said on Wednesday. The company is in the process of trying to find a buyer for its chain of 87 UK outlets in the hope that TGI Fridays can stay alive on high streets and save the jobs of approximately 4,500 staff employed across the UK.
TGI Fridays restaurants remain open as normal while the administration process starts, but the future of the chain is uncertain as its parent company faces huge losses. While some foodies mourned the prospect of never eating TGI Fridays’ sesame chicken dish again if the chain were to close, others have concluded that the company’s fate has been sealed for some time, due to rising menu prices and mediocre-quality food. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN TGI FRIDAYS IS IN ADMINISTRATION??? THEY BETTER NOT CLOSE ANY STORES.
THE SESAME CHICKEN IS MY COMFORT MEAL,” said one fan, as another added. “If TGI Fridays closes down and I don’t get to eat the sesame chicken again I’m not sure I’ll recover.” Others remarked that the chain’s Jack Daniels-infused sauce used on its chicken strips “will be missed”.
One person, who visited the chain’s first London branch that opened in Covent Garden in .