It is officially last call at the TGI Fridays on North University Drive in Pembroke Pines. The familiar striped awnings and bright red signs have come down this week in plain view, quietly erasing the city's only Fridays and forcing happy-hour regulars to head to neighboring cities for the chain's trademark drink and appetizer specials.
According to the Miami Herald, an April 27 Instagram post from memorabilia account Flashback South Florida captured several men taking down the restaurant's striped awnings and signage. The Herald's Pembroke Pines coverage lists the address as 90 N. University Drive and reports that the site is now closed.
Chain's broader struggles
The shuttering in Pembroke Pines is part of a larger contraction for TGI Fridays across the country, tied to a broader restructuring that followed a Chapter 11 filing late last year. The Associated Press reported that TGI Fridays Inc. submitted voluntary Chapter 11 petitions in early November 2024 as part of an effort to address legacy liabilities and reposition the business nationally.
Local restaurant shake-up
Pembroke Pines has already watched other sit-down chains pull back this year. The city's Bahama Breeze closed earlier in March after parent company Darden shifted staff and operations, according to local reporting from Pembroke Pines News. That shutdown, coupled with the loss of Fridays, highlights a recent pattern of national brands retrenching in parts of South Florida.
Where to go now
For locals unwilling to give up their Fridays fix, the nearest options are in Hollywood and Plantation, according to the brand's location pages. TGI Fridays in Hollywood and TGI Fridays in Plantation are currently listed on the restaurant's site. This story will be updated if company officials or the property manager share additional details about the Pembroke Pines closure.
