Kent could lose another well-known American eatery after TGI Fridays bosses announced it has gone into administration.

One of the branches at risk is in Bluewater Shopping Centre, Greenhithe, which is the only location left in the county.

Hostmore, the owners of the chain in the UK, said it had appointed joint administrators from Teneo.

The company is in the process of trying to sell the restaurants to new owners, which it hopes to complete by the end of September.

Thousands of jobs are at risk as a result and the household name could be lost altogether.

There are 87 sites across the country, with only one in Kent at the major shopping destination.

Known for its American cuisine and casual dining, the “'Thank God It's Friday” restaurant came across the pond in 1986 and first opened in Birmingham.

Earlier this month, the company said it was not expecting to “recover any meaningful value” from the sale of sites.

This means it would earn less from the sale than it owes to creditors and banks.

It is also not clear whether it will secure a buyer for the entire chain, or whether it will manage to sell some but not all of the restaurants.

Branches will be open as normal while the administration process starts.

The collapse of the London-listed hospitality business comes after plans to buy the US restaurant chain for £177 million fell through earlier this month.

It would have merged with US-based TGI Fridays Inc, to create a larger firm that would remain listed in the city.

However, the takeover plans were dropped after a management change which would have meant it could not collect royalties from the TGI Fridays brand.

Hostmore shares tanked by more than 90% after the news earlier in September, as shareholders took the brunt.

They are now worth less than 0.2 pence per share.

It has been suspended from the London Stock Exchange and the public company will be delisted and wound up.

TGI Fridays’ biggest market is in the US where there are 128 restaurants, including franchised sites and it operates more than 270 in countries around the world.