Barnsley Council defends spending £1 million on TGI Fridays fit-out as owner collapsed into administration

Barnsley Council has come under scrutiny after it was revealed that £1 million was allocated to support the fit-out of TGI Fridays at The Glass Works, as the restaurant’s parent company, Hostmore, entered administration.

The council has defended the contribution, stating that it was standard practice in the retail, leisure, and hospitality sectors to provide capital for incoming tenants. The £1 million was reportedly used to cover the fit-out costs for the TGI Fridays unit.

The chain is at risk of closure as its UK operator announced it was entering administration last week. The company is trying to sell its 87 UK restaurants to new owners, and hopes to complete the process by the end of this month.

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Council bosses have reassured customers that it is business as usual at TGI Fridays, and assured taxpayers that the contribution of £1m was accounted for within the Glassworks original budget – which increased from £130m to £210m by the end of the project.

Barnsley Council defends spending £1 million on TGI Fridays fit-out as owner collapsed into administrationBarnsley Council defends spending £1 million on TGI Fridays fit-out as owner collapsed into administration
Barnsley Council defends spending £1 million on TGI Fridays fit-out as owner collapsed into administration

A spokesperson for Barnsley Council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Capital contributions are standard practice across the retail, leisure, and hospitality sectors, and The Glass Works is no exception.

“These contributions are negotiated on an individual basis with each incoming tenant, and both the council and our leasing agents have diligently worked to ensure that they meet industry standards and deliver value for money.

“In the unfortunate event that TGI Fridays does close, though we sincerely hope this won’t occur, we will work closely with our leasing agents to secure a suitable new tenant for the space. Given the unit’s size and prime location, we are confident in our ability to re-let it if necessary, supporting the affected staff as we would in any situation of this nature.”

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Barnsley Council has sought to allay concerns by stressing that, for now, it is “business as usual” at TGI Fridays, which remains open and continues to offer popular deals such as Kids Eat Free, as well as a newly launched Americana menu.

Opposition groups within Barnsley have called for greater transparency around how public funds have been used and are urging the council to ensure more stringent oversight of future spending.

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