More Businesses Close Doors for Grand Theft Auto 6 Launch

If you have been frantically checking your calendar to see if you can pull off a “conveniently sick” day on November 19, you aren’t alone. While many are busy drafting up excuses for their bosses, some employees are getting a head start on their time off thanks to businesses closing their doors specifically for the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6.

Earlier this month, car part manufacturer Burger Motorsports made headlines by announcing it would shut down for the day to let its staff jump into Vice City. Now, the trend has gone international: Lebanese fast food joint Fries Lab has confirmed via Instagram that it is following suit.

"Chat, we waited over a decade for this," the restaurant stated in its post. "Fries Lab will be closed while we handle some very important business in Vice City."

The decision highlights the massive cultural gravity surrounding the upcoming Rockstar Games title. For an entire generation, this will be the first new Grand Theft Auto release they experience, a factor that has only served to turn the hype up to eleven. With the community waiting over ten years for a follow-up to Grand Theft Auto 5, the anticipation has reached a point where even business owners are prioritizing the game over their own operations.

A Release Date That Finally Seems Solid

For those who have been burned by previous release windows and subsequent delays, the current atmosphere surrounding the November 19 launch feels notably different. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has repeatedly assured fans that this date is set in stone, and with official pre-orders set to go live next week, the development timeline appears more stable than it has in years.

While the prospect of calling in sick to work or school is a common theme in the lead-up to any major release, it is rare to see companies openly encouraging that behavior by locking the doors. Whether you are planning a massive pizza order to celebrate or just trying to navigate the opening day, one thing is certain: November 19 is shaping up to be a day where much of the world takes a collective break to dive into Rockstar's latest open-world experience.

For those in Lebanon, it might be worth stopping by Fries Lab once they reopen—if only to share a burger with the staff once they’ve finished their own first day in Vice City.