Two branches of the casual-dining restaurant chain TGI Fridays in Milton Keynes will remain open despite mass closures.

Branches in Milton Keynes at the MK1 shopping park by Stadium MK and near to Milton Keynes Theatre in the city centre are to stay open under the terms of the deal, which will see TGI Fridays continue to operate 51 restaurants in the UK.

The new deal will see the remaining restaurants taken over by Breal Capital and Calveton UK, who own Byron Burger and the London-based wine bar chain Vinoteca.

Hostmore, which was the company owning TGI Fridays’ UK operations, went into administration last month, and although a rescue deal was agreed for the company, 35 restaurants in the UK have been shut with immediate effect, leading to over 1,000 people losing their jobs.

Northampton is among the branches that the company confirmed has closed down, with branches in places such as Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester, Southampton, Chelmsford, Cardiff and Leeds among those also shut down.

In a statement to Sky News, TGI Fridays UK Chief Executive Julie McEwan said, “The news today marks the start of a positive future for our business following a very challenging period for the casual dining sector as a whole.

“We are devastated for our colleagues who will be leaving TGIs and thank them for their loyalty and contribution during their time with us.

“We are doing everything possible to retain our team and support those impacted.”

The move was criticised by the trade union Unite, who posted a statement on social media voicing their disapproval of the way the move has been handled.

They said, “The way in which workers have been treated across TGI Fridays today is a national disgrace. To close venues and lock people out their workforce with absolutely no notice is a moral outrage and almost certainly illegal.

This is the same company that informed the press before they told workers that they had gone into administration. Now our members are being told that they may not even be paid wages for work done!

“We are currently supporting our TGI members through this incredibly anxious situation made worse by a completely inept senior management who are sending invites to meetings with less than an hours notice. We would encourage any affected workers to contact Unite immediately to ensure they receive everything they are entitled to.”