Lake Zurich fielding interest in closed TGI Fridays site

Lake Zurich officials weren't aware the TGI Fridays restaurant on Rand Road had closed for good until a village employee drove by and noticed a sign.

But according to Assistant Village Manager Roy Witherow, the high-traffic site already is attracting interest from commercial brokers.

"(The restaurant) never contacted us, so we were kind of surprised," said Witherow, who didn't know exactly when the TGI Fridays closed, but noted that it's been a few weeks. "I know for the last several months they've been in trouble at the national level, so I guess this is part of that."

Witherow said the site at 676 South Rand Road is within Lake Zurich's top commercial corridor, and the stretch of road sees as many as 50,000 vehicles a day.

Witherow didn't know if TGI Fridays placed its Lake Zurich employees at other restaurants.

A commercial broker representing a restaurant chain contacted the village within days of the TGI Fridays closing to ask about availability, he added.

"We've seen a lot of restaurant growth in that area," Witherow said. "Especially the last couple of years there's been a lot of buildup right around there."