‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ Fans Rush to Cash Out Their Dave & Buster’s Cards As TGI Fridays Files for Bankruptcy

Following years of declining financial performance allegedly stemming from the pandemic, the casual dining chain TGI Fridays Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Saturday — their corporate Dave & Buster’s Power Card must have finally hit zero.

On It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the Paddy’s Pub Gang occasionally attempts to turn around the sluggish financial performance of their humble bar by emulating other unrelated business models, usually ones that they’ve seen on TV or in a movie and almost never to any positive effect. However, in the classic Season Five episode “The Great Recession,” Dennis (yes, Dennis) hatches a plan to copy an actual, real-life, successful bar, restaurant and arcade to jump-start the Paddy’s economy: Dave & Buster’s. After all, where else can you eat a steak, chug several glasses of wine and play TimeSplitters 2 all within a 10-foot radius?  

The key to the scheme was the signature Dave & Buster’s Power Card, which allows the titans of industry who frequent the establishment to pay for their feasts and their video games using the in-house currency that doesn’t work at any establishments other than Dave & Buster’s, no matter how many different TGI Fridays Mac tries it at.

Judging by the TGI Fridays bankruptcy announcement, maybe the chain ended up accepting D&B’s points after all.

In the official statement from TGI Fridays Inc, the company cited the pandemic as the “primary driver of our financial challenges,” claiming that they will “explore strategic alternatives in order to ensure the long-term viability of the brand” through the bankruptcy process. The press release made no mention of whether or not TGI Fridays will begin passing out Fridays Bucks to the growing RV villages surrounding their locations to stimulate the internal economy. Presumably, they haven’t gotten that far into Dennis’ lessons on business efficiency.

Critically, however, the bankruptcy only affects the 39 businesses owned directly by the TGI Fridays parent company and not the many franchisees in operation across the country, so the Franklin Mills, Northeast Philly and Fox Chase locations may very well still be around for Mac to visit and try his luck with the Power Card — alone.