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TGI Fridays drives major growth spurt
TGI Friday’s owner, US hospitality firm Carlson, has announced an ambitious expansion programme for the chain by 2015.
This will see the opening of “at least” 150 new international branches, bringing the total number of TGI Friday’s restaurants to 1,100 in more than 60 countries. Last year alone the casual dining chain opened 30 new venues and signed a development agreement with Americana Group to add 30 more restaurants in the Middle East over the next five years.
Carlson, which also has a share in the Radisson and Park Inn hotel chains, suggested that the casual dining sector was less severely hit than other areas of the leisure industry. According to Reuters, Carlson CEO Hubert Joly suggested: “this is a portfolio that could double in size”, picking out China and the UK as key markets.
Having opened its first venue outside the US in Birmingham back in 1986, TGI Friday’s now claims to have the highest number of American casual dining restaurants worldwide.
The chain attributes part of its success to its “knowledgeable and charismatic bartenders”, 8,000 of whom compete annually for the title of “Greatest TGI Friday’s Bartender in the World”.
Gabriel Savage, 15.03.2011