A Centre Region restaurant closes after nearly 15 years in business
TGI Fridays closed its only Centre County location after nearly 15 years in business, the restaurant’s management company said Wednesday.
The American chain restaurant did not reopen after closing in March because of COVID-19 mitigation efforts. The closure was finalized Wednesday, when the eatery’s lease expired, said Rick Sell, Metz Culinary Management Restaurant Operations vice president.
“With the uncertainty still in front of us, we just had to make the difficult decision,” Sell said. “On a lease renewal, you’ve gotta make a long-term business decision based on the renewal term of the lease. And with the overall uncertainty, we just felt like it was in our best interest to exit the business rather than face the future uncertainty.”
Fridays opened in September 2005 at 1215 N. Atherton St. About 40 people were employed when the restaurant closed, Sell said.
The management company does not plan to reopen Fridays elsewhere in Centre County, meaning the nearest TGI Fridays for many county residents is in Lycoming County.
“We felt like we were a special part of the greater Penn State community. That’s probably what stands out the most,” Sell said. “It really is a vibrant, growing community. It was exciting to be a part of that for the past 15 years.”