TGI Friday's Closes for Renovations Without Board's Permission

TGI Friday's in Braintree did not complete one of its applications for renovations before closing temporarily and could face the risk of having to start its work over if town or state officials disagree with the scope of the project.

The restaurant at South Shore Place across from the South Shore Plaza recently shut-down and put up a fence while undergoing renovations. An attorney for the establishment said he could not provide specifics on how long TGI Friday's would be closed and if or how many seats they might add.

Businesses holding alcohol licenses, such as TGI Friday's, are required by local regulations to go before the Board of License Commissioners with renovation or other plans before closing. For renovations, an application must then be approved by the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.

The restaurant previously went before the Planning Board and received permission to change its signage, and attorney Albert DeNapoli said all other town departments have approved the renovations.

But the application filed with the license board is incomplete and TGI Friday's has not appeared before it, Chair Joe Powers said. The restaurant runs the risk that officials will require it to revert back to its original plan under its liquor license.

"They really need to come forward and go through the clearly identified process that begins with the local licensing authority," Powers said.

Two years ago, Bickford's Grille closed without notifying the board and ultimately lost its alcohol license. Powers said that case is much different than the current one because Bickford's closed permanently and was planning to sell its license.

DeNapoli said he plans to file the complete application by the end of this week and appear before the board at its next available hearing. He said the board requested a more detailed description of the project and he will provide that.

The kitchen and dining areas will be upgraded with new equipment, but the footprint of the establishment will not change, DeNapoli said.

“These are mostly upgrade cosmetic renovations," DeNapoli said. "We certainly need to go and explain what needs to be done.”