After a turbulent financial year and a wave of restaurant closures, TGI Fridays is staging a flavorful comeback, starting with its menu. The iconic restaurant chain has rolled out a sweeping culinary revamp featuring eye-catching new dishes, refreshed classics, and inventive cocktails—all designed to spice up the dining experience and lure back customers.
TGI Fridays Bets on Bold New Dishes to Revitalize Brand
As part of what it’s calling its “ongoing comeback story,” TGI Fridays revealed a significant menu transformation last week. This ambitious plan to rebound post-bankruptcy includes revamping a staggering 85% of its offerings, with a host of brand-new dishes rolling out nationwide.
According to Today.com, the company “took a hard look” at its previous selections during this process, opting to remove certain items, enhance ingredient quality, and streamline cooking methods to improve service speed and consistency.
Diners can enjoy the following additions to the TGI Fridays menu:
- TGI Sauce: The restaurant is introducing a versatile new signature sauce, characterized as “creamy & tangy with a sweet-smoky kick.”
- Mozzarella Sticks: This popular appetizer now offers a choice of three flavorful sauces: RedHot Buffalo, Garlic Parmesan, and the exclusive Fridays Whiskey Glaze. Naturally, the classic version with all three sauces on the side remains an option.
- Big Queso Energy Burger: This indulgent burger features lettuce, pico de gallo, roasted jalapeños, cheddar cheese, poblano queso, and an extra serving of queso on the side.
- Loaded Tots: The updated appetizer is now generously topped with bacon, cheese, green onions, and the new TGI Sauce.
Ray Blanchette, who assumed the role of CEO in April, shared with Today.com that this menu overhaul is “just the beginning” of the changes planned for TGI Fridays.
“Fridays has a legacy worth celebrating, and we’re leaning into that,” Blanchette stated. “[For instance,] we leveled up the flavor on our Mozzarella Sticks, along with nearly the entire menu. Longtime fans will see familiar favorites made better, and first-time guests will get a fresh take on what makes Fridays special.”
TGI Fridays Gets the Party Started with High-Energy, Flavor-Packed Cocktails
In addition to the revamped food menu, TGI Fridays is rolling out a collection of seven new signature cocktails. These inventive concoctions offer a range of flavors and spirits to complement the dining experience:
- The eL.I.T.e: A generously sized fusion of a Long Island iced tea and lemonade, featuring Smirnoff vodka, New Amsterdam gin, Captain Morgan Spiced rum, Grand Marnier, lemonade, and a hint of Coca-Cola.
- Jack’s New Fashioned: A sophisticated blend of Jack Daniel’s whiskey, torched sugar, Angostura bitters, and black cherry, garnished with a cherry.
- Fri-Yay Rita: A balanced “sweet, sour, and a little bit salty” margarita crafted with Patrón Silver tequila, Fridays’ signature agave sour, a splash of Grand Marnier, a half-salt rim, and a squeeze of lime.
- Turbo Toro: An energizing mix of Patrón Silver tequila, blue curaçao, lime juice, and passion fruit, enhanced with a full can of Red Bull Tropical.
- Tito’s Thunderbolt: Described as the “jolt you didn’t know you needed,” this invigorating drink combines Tito’s Handmade Vodka, lemonade, and Owen’s Transfusion Mix, served over ice and finished with a lemon slice.
- The Late Checkout: A refreshing blend of Bacardi Gold rum, Chambord, passion fruit, lemonade, and a splash of grenadine, served over ice.
- Strawberry Henny: A smooth and fruity mix of Hennessy V.S, Grand Marnier, and fresh strawberry purée, adorned with a sliced strawberry.
TGI Fridays’ Bankruptcy and Store Closures
TGI Fridays filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on November 2nd, 2024. In a statement announcing its bankruptcy filing, TGI Fridays said that the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic was the “primary driver” of the chain’s financial challenges, and it will use the Chapter 11 process to “explore strategic alternatives in order to ensure the long-term viability of the brand.”
In January 2024, TGI Fridays abruptly closed 36 locations across the United States and continued downsizing throughout the year. By October, an additional 49 restaurants had been shut down, totaling at least 85 closures.
It’s worth noting, however, that the bankruptcy only affects TGI Fridays’ parent company, which operates 39 restaurants, and not the franchisees that control the other remaining locations. According to a company representative, the chain now has 89 remaining locations — compared to the start of 2024 when there were triple that, around 270.
Sources: Today.com, The New York Post