Millenia landlord will demolish TGI Fridays building

Millenia landlord will demolish TGI Fridays building

The landlord who sued TGI Fridays last year to evict the restaurant from its Mall at Millenia location will tear down the building and bring in a new tenant.

Cameron Group Associates, which owns about a dozen retail parcels around to the mall, received a demolition permit for the restaurant building at 4151 Millenia Blvd, according to a report in GrowthSpotter. The landlord evicted the TGI Fridays franchisee, Orlando Restaurants Inc., in October for nonpayment around the same time the chain’s parent company filed for Chapter 11 reorganization.

The company auctioned off the restaurant’s fixtures and equipment, and buyers were at the property last week removing everything from booths to light fixtures.

The owner of TGI Fridays at the Mall of Millenia received a demolition permit for the restaurant building. (GrowthSpotter Staff)
The owner of TGI Fridays at the Mall of Millenia received a demolition permit for the restaurant building. (GrowthSpotter Staff)

Cameron Group, a partnership led by real estate investors Frank and Steven Schrimsher, restauranteur John Rife and Shutts & Bowen attorney Jim Willard, declined to identify the new tenant. But the partnership has leased the 1.85-acre parcel to an affiliate of auto magnate Terry Taylor, who currently owns and operates the Infinity and Aston Martin/Lotus/Moke dealerships next door. Taylor, a Palm Beach billionaire, owns 120 dealerships across the U.S., including four in Orlando: Porsche, Jaguar/Land Rover, and Lincoln Mercury, in addition to the Millenia complex.

Cameron Group Associates, which owns several properties around the Mall at Millenia, has signed a new tenant to the former Chevy's Restaurant at 4158 Conroy Rd. (GrowthSpotter Staff)
Cameron Group Associates, which owns several properties around the Mall at Millenia, has signed a new tenant to the former Chevy’s Restaurant at 4158 Conroy Rd. (GrowthSpotter Staff)

The initial term of the lease is 15 years, with three 5-year extension options.

Cameron also terminated the lease for Tex-Mex chain Chevys, which is next door at 1158 Conroy Rd. and has signed a new, also as-yet-unidentified tenant for that building.

The partners developed many of the buildings surrounding Mall at Millenia between 2003 and 2009, not too long after the mall opened in 2002. Together they own about a dozen other nearby parcels, including the 58,475-square-foot Shoppes at Millenia retail center on the corner of Millenia Boulevard and Conroy Road. The partners also own Best Buy, Chick-fil-A, The Container Store, Wendy’s, Zaxby’s, Panda Express and others around the mall.

In 2020, Cameron sold seven parcels, including Olive Garden, BJ’s Brewhouse, Old Navy, West Elm, Ethan Allen, and DSW, for  $22.7 million to Miami-based Limestone Asset Management. A year later, Limestone acquired three more parcels for $10.4 million. That deal included Shake Shack, Panera Bread and AT&T Store.

Founded in New York City in 1965, TGI Fridays owned 39 restaurants directly in the U.S. at the time of its bankruptcy filing, with hundreds more operated through franchise agreements and serving bar-and-grill style food and drinks in 41 countries. Its overall revenues and numbers of restaurants have dipped significantly in recent years with a series of ownership changes for the parent company.

Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at lkinsler@GrowthSpotter.com or (407) 420-6261. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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