RISE - Menu Monitor

Friday’s Front Row Sports Grill is an oversized sports bar with billiards, shuffleboard, video games and interactive TV,
launched to serve the sports fan with higher quality foods than traditionally offered at sport stadiums and other sporting events.
Units average 17,000–23,000 sq. ft. The first location opened in 1994 in The Ballpark in Arlington, TX, and became the first
full-service, casual-dining restaurant in a professional U.S. ballpark. The concept is built around an extensive menu and
beverage selection in a sports bar-like atmosphere. Units house sports memorabilia, state-of-the-art technology with multiple
televisions screens (60–75 per unit) and an assortment of games, ranging from billiards to virtual reality interactive games.
Friday’s America Bar is a small, quaint, casual gathering place reminiscent of a neighborhood bar, offering a variety of food,
beverages and music. Units range from 1,000–3,500 sq. ft. Some are located in airports, while others are situated in urban
streetscapes.
T.G.I. Friday’s, the first national casual dining chain, has been in operation for more than 40 years. The original unit was
opened by legendary restaurateur Alan Stillman in 1965 at First Avenue and 63rd Street in New York City. It featured the
familiar red-and-white stripes, wooden floors, Tiffany-style lamps and bentwood chairs. The bar, with its brass rails and stained
glass, contributed to the ambiance. The New York location enjoyed immediate success and became a well-known meeting
place for single adults. In fact, Newsweek and other media heralded the opening of T.G.I. Friday’s as the dawn of the singles
age. Friday’s restaurants are also credited with naming “Happy Hour,” inventing Loaded Potato Skins and Long Island Iced
Tea, and popularizing frozen and ice-cream drinks.
By 1975, when the concept was acquired by Carlson, there were 10 T.G.I. Friday’s restaurants in eight states; Stillman
retained only the original restaurant. In 1983, the majority interest in T.G.I. Friday’s went public, although Carlson continued to
have stock holdings. Carlson purchased the remaining stock in 1990. In 1998, the company changed its name to Carlson
Restaurants Worldwide. Today, Carlson Restaurants Worldwide operates, franchises and licenses nearly 1,000 restaurants in
the U.S. and around the world. T.G.I. Friday’s is the largest varied-menu, casual-dining chain internationally, with units in 55
countries outside the United States. International expansion remains a priority. T.G.I. Friday's has recently announced its
intent to open 25 new locations in India over the next three to four years.
Menu Positioning |
T.G.I. Friday's widely varied menu for lunch and dinner offers appetizers, soups and salads, sides, sandwiches, burgers,
chicken, pasta, seafood, ribs, steak, desserts and beverages. Signature items include the Pot Stickers appetizer, Broccoli
Cheese soup, Cobb Salad, Asian Chicken Salad, Sizzling Chicken Fajitas, Bruschetta Chicken Pasta, Fish & Chips and New
York Strip Steak. New favorites include Friday’s Sliders—a mini-burger appetizer; Chicken Caesar Salad—served with hot
grilled chicken and a proprietary dressing; and Grilled Cedar Salmon—a seasoned, 7-oz. fire-grilled salmon fillet. Along with
many new menu items, the T.G.I. Friday’s menu layout has been redesigned to make navigating the wide array of choices
easier for guests. Among its extended choices is the option to choose smaller-portioned meals for a reduced price. Friday’s
latest promotion is its Three-Course Menu, which allows customers to combine an entrée with any appetizer and dessert on
the menu for one price. Selections on the Three-Course Menu include such entrées as Asian Garlic Chicken, Argentinean
Rubbed Flat Iron Steak and Half-Rack of Baby Ribs & Shrimp; appetizers such as Crispy Green Bean Fries, Fried Mozzarella
and Fried Mac n Cheese; and desserts such as Cinnabon® Cheesecake, Oreo® Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Angel Swirl
Cake. Another large section is dedicated to Jack Daniel’s® Grill, one of Friday’s bestselling categories. The selection includes
the Jack Daniel's Burger, Jack Daniel's Salmon, Jack Daniel’s Pulled Pork and Jack Daniel's Glazed Ribs. Favorites of this line
also include Jack Daniel’s Roasted Pork—braised bone-in pork roast piled high with crispy onions and served with mashed
potatoes and broccoli; and Jack Daniel’s Ribeye—a 14-oz. steak, seasoned, grilled and served with mashed potatoes. The
line is enhanced by a selection of Jack Daniel's sauces, including a new Spicy Jack Daniel's Sauce, a smoky sauce made with
chipotle. The Steakhouse Selects section features several steak options, including the 8-oz. Flat Iron Steak, 12-oz. New York
Strip and the 10-oz. Classic Sirloin. Steaks are cooked to order and served with choice of one side item and either Wild
Mushroom, Roasted Pepper or Lively Burgundy butter sauces. A separate kids’ menu features macaroni and cheese, cheese
pizza, burgers and spaghetti, served with choice of one side item and a beverage. The dessert selection features one of the
industry’s hottest trends—mini desserts—as well as several branded dessert offerings. Non-alcoholic beverages include Slush
drinks, such as the Strawberry Lemonade Slush, made with strawberry and wild berry puree, Minute Maid® Lemonade and
Sprite. Other beverages include soft drinks, Red Bull, coffee and iced tea. Well-known for its assortment of specialty cocktails
and margaritas, T.G.I. Friday’s offers full bar service. Its wide-ranging collection of alcoholic beverages starts with domestic
and imported beer, California red and white wines, and Fresh Raspberry Cherry, Fresh Tropical Passion, Perfectly Fresh and
Fresh Blueberry Mango margaritas. Menu prices range from $2.29–$17.99. Checks average $14.
Expansion Plans |
T.G.I. Friday’s has announced the opening of its 600th U.S. unit at NorthPark Center in Dallas. The chain currently has 903
restaurants in 58 countries. (Company Release 11/9/07)
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