Restaurant chain TGI Fridays filed for chapter safety Saturday, saying it’s on the lookout for methods to “make sure the long-term viability” of the informal eating model after closing lots of its branches this 12 months.

The Dallas-based firm filed for Chapter 11 chapter safety in a Texas federal courtroom.

TGI Fridays Govt Chairman Rohit Manocha in an announcement mentioned the “major driver of our monetary challenges resulted from COVID-19 and our capital construction.”

Sit-down chain eating places have extra broadly confronted challenges in recent times as diners select to get meals delivered or go to upscale quick meals chains like Chipotle and Shake Shack.

A U.S. chapter choose in September accredited a reorganization plan for seafood chain Purple Lobster after years of mounting losses and dwindling clients.

Based in 1965, the recognition of TGI Fridays peaked in 2008 with 601 eating places within the U.S. and a $2 billion enterprise, in line with Kevin Schimpf, director of trade analysis at Technomic. Its gross sales within the U.S. had been $728 million in 2023, down 15% from the prior 12 months, in line with Technomic.

It now counts 163 eating places within the U.S., down from 269 final 12 months. It closed 36 in January and dozens extra previously week.

TGI Fridays Inc. mentioned it solely owns and operates 39 eating places within the U.S., which is only a fraction of the 461 TGI Friday-branded eating places around the globe. A separate entity, TGI Fridays Franchisor, owns the mental property and has franchised the model to 56 unbiased house owners in 41 nations. These stay open.