TGI Fridays has confirmed it will close its Glasgow city centre restaurant on Buchanan Street this month, ending a 33-year presence at the location. The branch at Tontine House is due to shut its doors on October 19 after the landlord decided to terminate the chain's tenancy at the premises.
A spokesperson for TGI Fridays said the closure was not voluntary and expressed disappointment at leaving Buchanan Street. “TGI Fridays can confirm that our Buchanan Street restaurant will close on October 19th following a decision by the landlord to bring our tenancy at the site to an end. This is not a decision we have taken voluntarily, and we are disappointed to be leaving Buchanan Street after many years of serving the Glasgow community,” they told the Glasgow Times.
Focus on supporting staff
The spokesperson added that the company’s focus is on supporting its team and protecting as many jobs as possible. They also noted that TGI Fridays continues to have a strong presence in Glasgow, with its Glasgow Fort and Silverburn restaurants remaining fully open and welcoming guests as normal.
Reports from July state that owners Royal London Asset Management (RLAM) received approval to transform the interior of the A-listed building into a retail venue, with the aim of preserving the “best value” of the site going forward. The planning application, submitted in February, acknowledged that “113 Buchanan St, is currently occupied by TGI Fridays, who has been the tenant for a number of years.”
Retail plans for the site
Savills, acting on behalf of RLAM, described the current use of the space as “underwhelming” in the application, stating their intention to attract a “high-quality retailer” as a replacement. A representative of the firm said: “The overarching rationale for the proposals seek to bring forward a number of internal and external alterations at the unit to deliver a fit for purpose retail unit which delivers functionality and improved accessibility for both the future occupier and prospective shoppers. It is considered the existing use of the unit is underwhelming and fails to build upon key architectural features of the building while also lacking [Disability Discrimination Act 1995] compliance which in itself is exclusionary to those with access needs. The proposed alterations will help to secure the long-term future of the building via the occupation of a high quality retailer.”
The approved works include a strip-out of the basement, lowering of the internal floor height, and the construction of two new walls. New frontage for the unit's doors has also received approval. The works were granted the go-ahead on June 23, despite objections raised by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland (AHSS).
Conditions attached to approval
Glasgow City Council planners gave the scheme the green light on two conditions. The first instructed that the work must commence within three years of planning permission being granted. The second required that any replacement iron gates must retain the same design, in order to preserve the character of the listed building and its surrounding area.
