Restaurant chain TGI Fridays is experiencing a severe case of the Mondays. After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week, the chain is now contending with the expensive possibility of customers trying to redeem $49.7 million of gift cards that never expire.
The cards are a liability for the company trying to sell itself out of bankruptcy and likely unable to foot the bill for eight-figures worth of gift certificates -- some of which date back to 2003, according to court filings.
"I did a double take on that," bankruptcy judge Stacey Jernigan said during the restaurant chain's Monday bankruptcy hearing in Dallas, Texas. "I was imagining, you know, grandparents who got gift cards for their kids in college and then it got thrown away."
TGI Fridays' franchisees rely on the corporation to reimburse them for redeemed gift cards. While the chain isn't expecting all gift card holders to cash in on free burgers and fries, there's real concern among franchisees that the company will be unable to scrounge together the funds -- even including the $5.9 million the company is borrowing to jump start its restructuring -- to account for a potential influx of gift card-wielding diners. Franchisees make up 122 of TGI Fridays' U.S. locations, as well as 316 locations overseas. Meanwhile, the company owns 39 locations in the U.S., a strategy the private equity-owned restaurant chain employs to stay cost-efficient.
Jernigan said in Monday's hearing that TGI Fridays will be allowed to continue its gift-card program, which would give franchisees more time to review finances and meet with the central corporation. TGI Fridays plans to continue to honor gift cards. The company did not respond to Fortune's request for comment.
TGI Fridays filed for bankruptcy on Saturday, listing both its assets and liabilities between $100 and $500 million. Rohit Manocha, executive chairman of TGI Fridays Inc., said in a statement Saturday that COVID recovery troubles and "capital structure" drove the need to restructure.
"This restructuring will allow our go forward restaurants to proceed with an optimized corporate infrastructure that enables them to reach their full potential," he said.
The chain, which opened in 1965, cycled through three CEOs in 2023 and closed 36 of its locations across 12 states in January, and sold eight back to former CEO Ray Blanchette. It continued to shutter dozens of restaurants in the U.S. and abroad through last month. Its UK owner went into administration in September.
TGI Fridays struggles are yet another harbinger for tough times for family-friendly food chains in the U.S. Italian joint Buca di Beppo filed for bankruptcy in August. Fish taco chain Rubio's Coastal Grill and Mexican restaurant chain Tijuana Flats did the same earlier this year, as they grappled with inflation-anxious diners cooking their own dinners to save money.
Red Lobster, which emerged from bankruptcy in September after filing for Chapter 11 in May, is perhaps familiar with TGI Fridays' concern of biting off more than it can chew when it comes to accommodating savings-hungry customers. New CEO Damola Adamolekun attributed Red Lobster's bankruptcy -- and shuttering of 50 locations -- in part to an endless shrimp promotion that cost the company $11 million and strained its employees.
"When you have endless shrimp, and people are coming in and sitting down at the table and eating for hours as much shrimp as they possibly can, you stress out the kitchen," he told CNN. "You stress out the servers. You stress out the host. People can't get a table. It creates a lot of chaos."