Midway Dinner
2040 Midway Mall, Elyria, OH 44035
Abandoned December of 2008 as TGI Fridays
-Abandoned around 2017-2018 as Midway Dinner
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History of Midway Dinner
The Midway Dinner is a abandoned Restaurant in Elyria Ohio that originally opened as a TGI Fridays, though a official time of opening for the original TGI Fridays is not known it opened between the years of 1966 to 1978. The area of Elyria grew with the newly opened Midway Mall one of the older malls built in the US, as this expansion was upcoming many new businesses opened around the Mall, one of which being TGI Fridays. The Restaurant was open until December of 2008, and likely closed due to the early stages of the great recession of 2008, along with the general decline of Elyria Ohio. The TGI Fridays would remain vacant until late 2013 when a startup restaurant known as the Midway Dinner took over the restaurant, it used all of the former TGI Fridays’ Decor and would survive for about 3 or so years before closing itself. Today the restaurant has fallen into a extreme state of disrepair due to scrapping and vandalism.
Recollection from the author
At the time of our exploration the Midway Dinner in 2025 the Restaurant was in a advanced state of decay similar to Hoban’s Cold Storage on our first trip the place was filled with gnats in the air, especailly in the kitchen area. However walking out of the kitchen area the dining room was not bad especially smell wise. Because of boards that had been put up around 2023 the restaurant was nearly pitch black and required a good light to navigate in. Many of the ceiling tiles had been scrapped out, however many of the original wood was still intact adding a special charm to the building not seen in a lot of buildings especially restaurants.
outside of the restaurant
Main Entrance
The middle aisle of the restaurant with a employee desk
Middle aisle way in Dining section
Back section looking towards midway mall
Red walls tell that this wall was never changed after the Midway Dinner take over
Booths scrapped out
Refreshment table
main bar area
Much of the Wood remains intact especially in the bar section retaining it's wood finish
Bar lounge space
Back corridor nearby to kitchen
Kitchen area
another drink refill section in kitchen
office space in the back of house
Storage room in back of house