TGI Friday's set to close key location after 15 years as chain said declining sales is a factor

TGI Friday's is set to say goodbye to a location next week after the company warned of mass closures due to declining sales.

This will apply to the casual diner chain's last remaining Idaho location in Nampa, 20 miles west of Boise.

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In a Facebook post, the restaurant confirmed the news – providing its customers a farewell after 15 years in business serving the Nampa community.

"We have been proud to serve the treasure valley and are blessed for all the amazing people we have come to know in that time," it said while including multiple pictures with its staff.

"In 15 years we have been a part of your birthdays, first dates, engagements, and anniversaries and we have loved turning our guests into our friends. We will miss you."

The move by TGI Friday's comes after the company faced the pain of declining sales in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Chief executive officer at the time, Ray Blanchette, warned in a Bloomberg interview that 20% of its 386 restaurants would likely be forced to close.

It's unclear why exactly the last location in Idaho is closing – but that could be a part of the chain's general closure plans.

The last Idaho location will be closing its doors for good on Friday, June 30.

The U.S. Sun reached out to TGI Friday's for comment.

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MORE RESTURAUNT SHUTTERS

Recently, restaurant chains have been shutting down in Dothan, Alabama.

This not only includes TGI Friday's – Hooters, Ruby Tuesday, and O'Charley's as well.

O'Charley's has also closed down locations in Tuscaloosa, Huntsville, Alabaster, and Oxford.

Just six more O'Charley's resturaunts now remain in Alabama.

The closures can be attributed to decreased casual restaurant traffic, increased competition, and labor issues, according to experts that local ABC affiliate news outlet WTVY interviewed.

Breakfast chains have also struggled after the pandemic hit too.

Cracker Barrell has shut down multiple locations recently.

This includes one in Jackson, Mississippi and four locations in Oregon in recent months.

"It is not uncommon for a store’s traffic patterns and volumes to change over time, and we saw this occur in Jackson coming out of the pandemic," the restaurant chain said in a statement to The U.S. Sun.

"Despite the strong efforts of our employees, our Jackson store was unable to overcome these and other challenges."

And rival Denny's has been negatively impacted by the pandemic too.

A location in Albany, New York, shut down on April 20.

THE RETAIL APOCALYPSE

And restaurants aren't the only ones that have been forced to close.

Customers could also be losing their favorite retail stores as the emergence of online sales forces traditional brick-and-mortar locations out the door.

Some have dubbed the trend as the retail apocalypse.

Nordstrom, a department store that sells apparel items including shoes, is closing two locations in San Francisco.

The first location, which is a Nordstrom Rack store near the city's upscale Union Square shopping district, will close for good after July 1.

That will be followed by a traditional Nordstrom store in the Westfield San Francisco Centre Mall closing at the end of August.

Macy's rivals H&M and Belk have shut down stores.

Belk closed one in Selma Alabama, while H&M's location closed in Rochester, Minnesota.

Meanwhile, Macy's alone has closed at least 80 stores this year.

Pharmacy chains have been affected too, as CVS plans to shutter at least 300 stores per year through 2026.

Also, rival Walgreens closed multiple stores in May.

This includes one in Syracuse, New York, and another in Dundalk, Maryland, just east of Baltimore.

But home goods chain Bed Bath & Beyond might be the biggest example of the retail apocalypse.

This is because it has gone bankrupt and is holding liquidation sales.

All 360 locations, as well as 120 Buy Buy Baby stores, are set to shut down by June 30 unless the company can find a buyer.

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In addition, Tuesday Morning is shuttering all of its stores after the discount brand filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

And check out a legendary mall shoe store that has filed for bankruptcy twice and is focusing now on its e-commerce channel.