Massachusetts
TGI Fridays at Solomon Pond Mall in Marlborough among six in Mass. that have closed
MARLBOROUGH — The TGI Fridays location at the Solomon Pond Mall is among five other Massachusetts locations — and 36 nationwide — that have abruptly closed due to underperformance, the company confirmed on Wednesday.
In a press release, TGI Fridays announced the closure of the six underperforming restaurants in Massachusetts, as well as a seventh in Providence, Rhode Island. A spokesperson confirmed that the Massachusetts locations include those in Dedham, Danvers, Mansfield, Seekonk, North Attleboro and Marlborough.
“As we continue along our path of transformation to revitalize the Fridays brand and implement a long-term growth strategy, we see a bright future for TGI Fridays,” TGI Friday’s CEO Weldon Spangler said in the press release. “We are at the helm of a pivotal moment that will allow us to explore boundless advancement, expansion and innovation to keep delivering ‘That Fridays Feeling’ that our fans know and love.”
A Daily News reporter’s call to the Marlborough location went unanswered.
As part of the store closures, TGI Fridays is offering more than 1,000 transfer opportunities, which represents more than 80% of total impacted employees.
Store closures also included the sale of eight previously corporate-owned restaurants in the Northeast to former CEO Ray Blanchette.
In Massachusetts, TGI Fridays continues to operate restaurants in Boston, Braintree, Everett, Methuen, Millbury, North Dartmouth and Stoughton.
TGI Friday’s exits MetroWest and Greater Milford
The Marlborough location was the last TGI Friday’s restaurant in MetroWest and Greater Milford.
A Framingham restaurant on Route 9 closed in 2021 and was razed. The property now contains a new shopping plaza that houses Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, a sushi restaurant with Japanese-style sushi belts.
In Milford, a TGI Friday’s site on Fortune Boulevard was acquired by Imperial Cars owner Kevin Meehan as part of a deal that also included former Best Buy and Bed, Bath & Beyond stores. The site was sold for $10.3 million and Meehan told the Daily News he planned to “reposition” the marketplace.
Massachusetts
Weather alert for patchy fog and black ice in 9 Massachusetts counties until Friday morning
A report was issued from the National Weather Service on Friday at 3:13 a.m. for patchy fog and black ice until 9 a.m. for Northern Worcester and Southern Worcester as well as Franklin, Middlesex, Essex, Hampshire, Hampden, Norfolk, Suffolk, Bristol and Plymouth counties.
“Patchy fog and isolated black ice are possible this morning across southern New England, especially in areas that typically fog over. As temperatures are at or below freezing, a few slick patches of black ice may form, especially on elevated surfaces; like bridges and overpasses. Please use caution heading out early this morning and allow for extra commuting time,” according to the weather service.
Navigating fog: Safety tips by the weather service
If you must drive in foggy conditions, keep the following safety tips in mind:
Moderate your speed:
- Slow down and allocate extra time for your trip to reach your destination safely.
Visibility priority:
- Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which automatically activate your taillights. Utilize fog lights if your vehicle is equipped with them.
Avoid high-beams:
- Refrain from using high-beam headlights, as they create glare that impairs your visibility on the road.
Keep a safe distance:
- Maintain a significant following distance to account for abrupt stops or shifts in traffic patterns.
Stay in your lane:
- Use the road’s lane markings as a guide to remaining in the correct lane.
Zero visibility strategy:
- In cases of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, activate your hazard lights and seek a safe spot, like a nearby business parking lot, to pull over and stop.
No parking options:
- If no designated parking area is available, pull your vehicle as far off the road as possible. Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights remain unlit, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.
By adhering to these precautions from the weather service, you can navigate foggy conditions more safely, reducing the likelihood of accidents and ensuring your personal safety.
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Massachusetts
Supermarket chain to open 2 stores in former Christmas Tree Shops, Big Lots locations in Massachusetts
Two shuttered retailers are set to become supermarkets in southeastern Massachusetts.
Big Y announced Thursday that it’s opening grocery stores in Fairhaven and North Dartmouth. The Fairhaven Plaza location used to be a Big Lots, and the Faunce Corner Center store in North Dartmouth was a Christmas Tree Shops.
“These new stores will allow us to better serve families in the South Coast region,” Big Y VP of real estate and development Mathieu L. D’Amour said in a statement.
The supermarkets will open sometime in 2027. Hiring details and a grand opening date will be announced in the next few months. Big Y opened new stores in Westboro and Uxbridge earlier this year.
Big box store closures in Massachusetts and around the country in recent years have created opportunities for other retailers to move into vacant storefronts.
Christmas Tree Shops, the bargain outlet that started on Cape Cod more than 50 years ago, went bankrupt and closed all of its stores in 2023. The old North Dartmouth location is being used temporarily this holiday season as a “Spirit Christmas” pop-up.
Another Christmas Tree Shops in Falmouth has been transformed into an Aldi supermarket. Others have been taken over by Ocean State Job Lot.
Big Lots closed all of its Massachusetts stores last year amid financial turmoil. Just last month, an Ollie’s Bargain Outlet moved into a former Big Lots location in Fitchburg.
It hasn’t always worked out for supermarkets that move into old retail stores. The Fresh Market, which moved into an old Bed Bath & Beyond store on Route 9 in Framingham less than a year ago, is already closing.
A competing grocery store chain, Trader Joe’s, opened two new stores in Newton and West Roxbury this fall.
Massachusetts
26 MA Restaurants Honored By Michelin Guide, Including City’s 1st Star
BOSTON, MA — It was a major day for Boston’s culinary scene on Tuesday as one of the city’s restaurants was finally awarded a Michelin star.
In total, it appears that 26 restaurants were honored by the Michelin Guide.
311 Omakase in the city’s South End was awarded the star at the Michelin Guide Northeast Cities Ceremony, which was held at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia.
The Japanese restaurant known for its sushi offerings won the biggest honor of the night, but 26 Boston-area restaurants were also noted at the ceremony.
According to NBC Boston, Bar Volpe and Fox & The Knife, both in Boston; Sumiao Hunan Kitchen, Pagu and Jahunger in Cambridge and Mahaniyom in Brookline were recognized in the “Bib Gourmand” category, which is awarded for its value for the money spent.
Boston Business Journal shared that a number of other area spots were recognized by the organization for their culinary products, though they were not awarded a star.
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