JOLIET —The Louis Joliet Mall was busy — extremely busy — on Monday as thousands of people visited the mall to do their last-minute Christmas shopping. For many years, one of the popular places for families or friends to gather for a sit-down meal inside the mall was the TGI Fridays. TGI Fridays had a solid reputation, averaging 3.9 stars out of 5 stars, according to 1,380 Google Reviews posted over the years.
On Monday, however, not a single Louis Joliet Mall shopper dined at the TGI Fridays. That’s because the party is over. There are no more last calls. TGI Fridays is history. The sign on the vacant Joliet restaurant store informs shoppers that “Unfortunately, we’ve made the hard decision to closes this TGI Fridays restaurant.
“Again, thank you for your patronage over all these years and hope to serve you again at one of our other locations.”
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Here’s a look back at three of the most recent reviews posted on Google Reviews for the Joliet TGI Fridays:
5 Stars: “As of the service, our waitress Alma was outstanding, she was quick to make sure we got exactly what we needed, very polite young lady, she was, needless to say, amazing with my screaming toddler as she distracted her from what upset her in the beginning. The manager was rounding the tables as well making sure everything was running smoothly. 10/10 would recommend.”
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5 Stars: “We ordered up some of their delicious $5 appetizers that did not disappoint, and I highly recommend all 3 dishes. We ordered the truffle tot chos, the whiskey glazed chicken slammers, and the buffalo chicken slammers! All three were very filling and very tasty!!! Awesome job TGI Fridays will be back!!!”
1 Star: “It’s apparent they want to close down. I could barely stomach looking at my hamburger. The mushy burger that fell apart, the large goop of mayonnaise and old mushrooms slapped on the bun, the wilted and browned lettuce. My mother’s chicken sandwich was not even edible. The cold slaw on it old and Gross.”
In addition to the permanent closure at the Louis Joliet Mall, other locations around the Chicago area are becoming fewer and fewer for TGI Fridays.
On Dec. 17, Patch reported that the TGI Fridays at 2201 75th St. in Darien has closed its doors. It is in the Darien Towne Center, which includes Walmart.
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In November, the TGI Fridays chain filed for bankruptcy protection. The Associated Press reported that the chain has closed dozens of locations this year.
The chain peaked at 601 restaurants in 2008, falling to 163 as of last month, according to the AP. About a half dozen remain in Illinois, including suburban locations in Oswego, Aurora, Oak Lawn and Bedford Park.
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