A well-known high street restaurant chain with branches in Sheffield is reportedly close to entering administration, raising concerns for staff in the run-up to Christmas.

TGI Fridays, which is owned by Liberty Bar and Restaurant Group, has dozens of sites across the UK, although some have already closed.

Its Barnsley restaurant was shut earlier this year as part of wider changes to the business.

According to reports, the company filed a notice of intent to appoint administrators on December 19.

This came just two weeks after a similar notice was submitted on December 5.

The move temporarily pauses action from creditors, giving directors time to work on a plan to keep the business afloat.

The US-themed restaurant and cocktail bar chain, which was founded in 1965, said earlier this year that it was undergoing a major turnaround.

The brand was bought out of administration in October 2024 following a change in ownership.

Phil Broad, president of TGI Fridays’ international franchising arm, said the latest move was linked to that takeover.

He said the step was intended to help stabilise the business and secure the brand’s long-term future in the UK.

Broad added that the priority is to keep the company's 2,000 staff members in their jobs.

The two locations in Sheffield are:

Major UK restaurant chain TGI Fridays with branches in Sheffield on brink of administration