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TGI Fridays isn’t done with Long Island just yet.
The casual dining chain’s two remaining Long Island restaurants — in Central Islip and Valley Stream — will remain open as the company begins a new expansion push across New York, a representative confirmed to Greater Long Island.
And Long Island could be getting more Fridays locations in the future.
TGI Fridays announced Monday that it has reached a development agreement with Bliss Bites LLC to open five new restaurants across New York State over the next three years, marking the company’s first domestic development agreement in more than a decade.
As part of the deal, Bliss Bites has also acquired the existing TGI Fridays at Central Islip Town Center.
That restaurant will remain open and continue operating under Bliss Bites, according to information provided exclusively to Greater Long Island.
The other remaining Long Island Fridays, located at Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, is owned by another entity and will remain open as well.
While TGI Fridays has not announced where the five new restaurants will be located, a company representative told Greater Long Island that Long Island is a “high priority” for the brand’s expansion.
Bliss Bites is led by owner and managing director Vinod Chand, who has more than 35 years of experience in the hospitality industry.
“TGI Fridays® is an iconic, one-of-a-kind brand backed by an incredible team that celebrates its guests and takes real pride in Americana hospitality,” Chand said. “Between our restaurant in Central Islip and the new locations we’re planning across New York, we’re building on a brand I already believe in, backed by the kind of corporate support that makes long-term growth possible. This is just the beginning.”
The announcement comes after a turbulent stretch for TGI Fridays on Long Island.
Last year, the chain closed its Farmingville and Riverhead restaurants, leaving Central Islip and Valley Stream as its last two locations in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
The former Farmingville restaurant is already headed for a new life. Teachers Federal Credit Union plans to build a new branch at the site, with an opening projected for the second half of 2026. The credit union’s existing Farmingville branch, located across the street, is expected to remain open during construction.
The latest Fridays agreement signals a shift back toward growth for the brand.
The company said the five-restaurant New York deal is an early part of its “1-2-3 Strategic Vision,” a broader plan aimed at growing TGI Fridays to more than 1,000 restaurants and $2 billion in annual revenue by 2030.
“Growth only matters when it’s built with the right partners, and this five-restaurant development agreement is exactly what we envisioned for our ‘1-2-3 Strategic Vision,’” said Ashley Kirkley, chief operating officer of TGI Fridays. “We’re bringing passionate franchisees into the Fridays family, building in markets where this iconic brand belongs, and creating restaurants that deliver the energy, hospitality, and celebration our guests expect from Fridays.”
TGI Fridays has deep roots in New York. The first location opened on Manhattan’s Upper East Side in 1965.
Today, the company operates nearly 400 restaurants across almost 40 countries.
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