The TGI Friday's at 34 Union Square East at 16th Street shut down at the end of the year... EVG regular Daniel shared these photos ...
This closure was a long time coming. The Commercial Observer reported in August 2014 that this location, which was just breaking even, would soon close.
Dennis Riese, the chairman of the board and CEO of The Riese Organization, reportedly bought this building for $15.3 million at the end of 2009. The TGI Friday's opened in June 2010.
Now it looks as if the whole building is for sale as a development site... curious to see what, if any, air rights might be available...
Didn't spot a listing for the property just yet.
Meanwhile, patrons yearning for TGI's Sesame Jack™ Chicken Strips or Jack Daniel's® Chicken Sandwich washed down with a Red Bull Passion Slush can find that fare at the six other remaining locations in the city.
18 comments:
Hmmmm.YUCHHHHHHHHHHHH.
Never set foot in a TGIF before, and if that's the "quality™" of their "food™", it's not likely that I will any time soon.
I still miss Zen Palate.
This used to be vegetarian restaurant Zen Palette. FINALLY TGIF is gone. But what will replace it?
A big chunk of corporate America just left downtown, yay.
One the one hand people want 'the rich' and corporate America to pay even more taxes. Then you celebrate them leaving. The city budget is 86 billion? Are you going to finance that? Who will pay for the endless services and programs? You? The shortsightedness is astounding. Big chunks of corporate America left before. It causes NYC to go bankrupt.
And when NYC was bankrupt it was a far more interesting, artistic, down-to-earth, *real* place. Are you saying our only choices here, Anon. 10:29, are bankruptcy or total chain immersion and blandification? Pitiful.
Loosen your corporate neck-tie, 10:29. Jesus Christ. When it comes to dining most people are concerned more with you know, what's on the menu, than on taxes and budgets and Corporate America.
Anonymous 9:56, me too! Zen Palate's dumpling soup used to be my standby.
Zen Palate -- I have to disagree. One of the worst meals I ever had was there, something pretending to be something else, and not tasty. AND no alcohol to at least make you feel better.
No angst from me if it becomes an office building.
In the current environment those are the choices. So you prefer a bankrupt NYC. Do you support cutting the city budget by 30-40 billion dollars? Should we end all those precious services and programs? Who pays for the illegals and refugees and homeless? You? We can have a more interesting, artistic, real, down to earth place. But you can't have that and generate almost 90 billion in taxes. That's reality- a place too many people are far removed from. That is what is pitiful.
I have never been to a TGIF or a Bennigans, Chichis and the rest of those dumps and I have no regrets.
I remember Zen Palate. Still amazed that place just left like that.
I agree with 10:29. It's the same tired argument on this blog. People whine and pine for the old days when grandma's had to decide between cashing their social security checks at the bank or getting knocked on the head buy one of those "good old day" junkies. It's people like the regular commentators here who are the ridiculous ones. And that doesn't mean I'm all in favor of big box, corporate America stores on every block either. But fact is, 10:29 had a valid point.
I wonder if western civilization can survive without a tgif at Union Square. Snort.
T.G.I. Friday's is home grown. The first location was 63rd street and 1st avenue.
My bet, based on the value of that 2-storey building, is that it ends up being "luxury condos" - b/c after all, it faces directly onto the park, it's convenient to transportation (and Starbucks), and it's in the oh-so-cool Union Square nabe.
@10:29am: I worry not one whit about corporations "leaving" NYC, nor about NYC going bankrupt b/c we don't have enough chain stores. I'm pretty sure the banks & drug stores alone would keep NYC afloat for decades.
It always bothered me that TGIF never served their Diet Cokes with straws. It was so annoying to bring my own.
GROSS and THANK GOD.
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