TGI Fridays first opened its doors in 1965 in New York thanks to Alan Stillman, a perfume
salesman. While “Thank God Its Friday” might be an ideology for people to express
their relief after their weekday endeavors, Stillman’s vision was a respite for men
and women to experience a cocktail party experience in a public setting and thus emerged America’s
popular chain, serving the young and single with over 900 restaurants in about 60 countries.
So now let’s look at the top 10 untold truths about TGI Fridays.
TGI Fridays - A conduit for singles to mingle
Fridays opened its doors to the public in New York in 1965. Stillman envisioned the
place in hopes of meeting air stewardesses, models, and secretaries residing in his neighborhood
on the East Side of Manhattan. Initially, it was promoted as a singles bar as, during
that period, it was hard for singles to meet in a public setting. Stillman’s story proves
that all innovative ideas are not born behind secretive closed doors and drinking copious
amounts of caffeine. He salvaged the opportunity of his affinity of meeting the single ladies
in his vicinity and transferred that prospect towards a cocktail bar on the Upper East Side,
which thrived on the notion of serving singles in a casual setting, away from bars and private
events and that restricted men and women to hang out in a public place. With the creation
of the birth control pill around the time of Friday's opening, Stillman considers the
timing impeccable. He says he just so happened to hit the sexual revolution on the head,
and therefore became the founder of the first singles bar. You could say that the establishment
of TGI Fridays, changed the American restaurant chain business forever and we have seen many
imitating the ambiance of the renowned chain restaurant juggernaut. Since its humble beginnings,
TGI Fridays has further grown in popularity and has continued to be a place for people
to meet, mingle, and indulge in casual dinner and drinks.
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‘Cocktail’ and Fridays flairtending
According to Stillman, Tom Cruise’s character Brian Flanagan from the 1988 movie Cocktail
was inspired by him. In one of his interviews, he mentions how Cruise’s Brian Flanagan
was imitating what Stillman and his team had done with Fridays at the time, including all
the fancy flipping of bottles and drinks. With the popularity of Stillman at the time
and Fridays’s signature flairtedning skills, these claims do seem credible. In 2010, the
chain had even requested the Olympic Committee to recognize bartending as a sport. This shows
that Fridays take their talents quite seriously. Now only if you could spot Tom Cruise serving
a drink on your weekend off from work at a TGI Fridays.
Fridays grabs Guinness Record
In 2011, TGI Fridays cemented its name in the Guinness Record for “the most people
cocktail flairing for two minutes.” The bartenders attended the open air event in
the Covent Garden Piazza, London and showcased their skills to the song Hippy Hippy Shake,
which was ironically prominent in the flick ‘Cocktail’. One hundred and five T.G.I.
Friday's bartenders attempted to perform a choreographed flair routine which included
a 'C-step' - a backward throw & catch of a cocktail shaker. On the third and final attempt
101 bartenders were successful handing them the Guinness World Record while celebrating
T.G.I. Fridays 25th Anniversary in the UK. Can someone make flairtending an official
Olympic sport already?
‘Flanagan’ Mixologist and the AI connection at Fridays
Coined Flanagan after Tom Cruise’s character in the film Cocktail, TGI Fridays introduced
an innovative system which would help promote a different kind of alcoholic beverage. With
300 different taste profiles, mixed with unexpected ingredients, the AI helps create drinks based
on a customer’s mood and flavor preferences. The chain’s innovative motives don’t just
stop with Flanagan. In 2017, TGI Fridays used “predictive churn” technology to foresee
when people would leave the app. Those who would be leaving would be selected and encouraged
through push notifications with offers based on their past purchases. With over 500 restaurants
across the U.S., TGI Fridays plans to use AI to gather data and implement it to customer
service. The idea is that when you go into your local bar, the bartender knows you - and
the TGI Fridays APP will help be able to serve you at the same level. So the next time you
want to get served a drink or order online, you’ll be covered, thanks to AI.
The Corpus Christi prototype design at Fridays
In 2016 TGI Fridays discarded its dark wood and red striped interiors for a Scandinavian
style aesthetic at one of the branches in Corpus Christi, Texas. With coffee and juice
stations filling the prototype design space, and multiple bars and hangouts similar to
coffee shops, the restaurant chain has made the move to cater to the millennials who have
different tastes and preferences compared to the older generation. One of Friday's spokespersons
told BuzzFeed News that since the inception of Friday's when it was a singles bar, their
clientele expects it to be a place where they can have fun and meet up with new and old
friends. But that looks different today than it did back then. The hours have also been
extended from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. A revamped menu consisting of “Hangover Brunch” on
Saturdays and Sundays comprises of Bloody Marys, smoothies, and chicken and waffles
to name a few. The spokesperson proudly said that their guests come to Fridays as a destination
where they can have fun and socialize — and as their needs change, Fridays needs to change,
too. The place is also fully Wi-Fi equipped for those who use laptops and other electronics.
Like they say, out with the old, in with the new.
Charity with a ‘Heart’
Whether it is the customer base or the employees, Fridays is all about the people connected
to them one way or another. With its non-profit organization Have a Heart, Fridays provides
grants to employees who have suffered tragedy, have been inflicted with a financial crunch
or have suffered the brunt of a natural disaster. The internal charity is funded by employees
and they have an option to contribute through payroll deductions or participate or indulge
in year-round fundraisers for the organization. Fridays acts as a one big happy family that
cares for the cogs propelling the machinery to work efficiently and their team member
handbook clearly mentions in the end, “now that you’re part of our Fridays family,
you’re officially responsible for delivering that Fridays experience and embracing the
Love of all things Friday-including the fun, excitement, and real, pure potential that
Fridays holds.” Recently the CEO Aslam Khan said, “Whatever our race, gender, sexual
preference, or national origin, we are all born with certain essential liberties. By
simple virtue of our humanity, we have the right to enjoy a cold one with buddies at
a lively TGI Fridays bar, or take in the restaurant’s fun, festive, and slightly quirky atmosphere
while seated in a cozy booth on date night.” Now that’s endorsing a positive attitude
and embracing diversity and having a ‘heart’ about it. Ain’t that cute.
Life of a Bartender at TGI Fridays
Before the family restaurant ideology was introduced to TGI Fridays, the franchise used
to be a singles bar that happened to serve food. The bartender was at the top of the
ecosystem. According to Mike Werner, one of Friday's master bar trainers in the UK, one
had to learn how to make four hundred drinks and pass a test. It didn’t just end there.
To top it off, Twenty-five of those drinks you had to achieve while blindfolded. This
had to be performed within a certain time limit and all you could lean on was your muscle
memory to accomplish the feat. To add to that they couldn’t be racist and were expected
to have the ability to make jokes, while entertaining and mingling with the guests. Werner says
that a master bartender knows how to get customers involved. Also long before the AI and mixology
consultants of the 21st century, trainees had to know the science behind the spirits
and brand backgrounds. No wonder Fridays grabbed the Guinness World record for flairing, especially
when trainees have to undergo bartending finesse that requires immaculate grace and skill.
And I thought being a bartender was all fun and games, especially when alcohol is involved.
Boy, I was wrong.
Office Space and the destruction of Flair
Back in 1999, Mike Judge’s comedy Office Space came out. At the time, it did not leave
much of an impact on the audiences, but over the years it became more and more popular.
There is a scene in the film in which Jennifer Aniston’s character Joanna is asked by her
boss to wear more than the 15 pieces of flair she is wearing and he points out another server
Brian, whose suspenders are adorned with 37 pieces of flair. Joanna repeatedly expresses
disgust about the flair in the flick. This scene was based on real-life buttons servers
had to wear at the time in restaurants and Fridays was one of them. Because people referred
to the hilarious scene in restaurants at the time, TGI Fridays ditched the idea. In a way,
Judge should be thanked for his subtle contribution to the servers’ fashion aesthetics at Fridays.
In many ways, popular culture does have an influence or is inspired from our life, which
inadvertently can make even small changes as that of the case of the flair. In his interview
with Deadline, Judge said that one of his Assistant Directors was asked once at their
restaurant why their flair was missing and they said they removed it because of that
movie Office Space. So, maybe Judge has made the world a better place. Just like how the
film Titanic in 1997 raised the curiosity of people to know about the ill-fated maiden
voyage of the ship, thus bringing the story of the ocean liner to a new generation, Office
Space gives the viewer a satirical glimpse of the everyday work life of frustrated individuals,
bettering the reality it was inspired from in that process. Never underestimate the power
of pop culture.
TGI Fridays and the ‘Invention’ of Potato Skins
Before the appeal of potato skins, the peels were usually tossed away as it was not considered
worthy of restaurant menus. Apart from using the inside of the potato for different recipes,
restaurants came up with the idea of throwing the peels into the deep-fryer and decorating
them with bacon, cheese, and sour cream. Like the mystery behind the Mona Lisa’s smile,
the exact origins of this appetizer remain mystery, as well as many chains, have come
out in the 70’s crediting themselves as the inventor of the potato skins, including
TGI Fridays. According to the chain, they came up with it in 1974. Matt Durbin, the
chain’s Vice President tells of the legend that one of their cooks was making mashed
potatoes, but decided to drop the potato skin in the fryer. When it came out, he threw their
proprietary fry seasoning on it, added cheddar and smoked bacon, and the rest was history.
Despite the lack of knowledge on where potato skins originated, Fridays sure did make it
popular among the masses. In fact, it still hasn’t lost its demand while other food
items keep shifting or getting newly introduced. Potato skins still sit there, untouched by
time. In 2016, the company served three million pounds of potato skins in 900 locations in
60 countries, ranging from Argentina to Kyrgyzstan. That sure is a lot of potato skins. Banking
on the phenomena, Fridays has also introduced frozen potato skins that are available in
almost all grocery stores in the US. It is fascinating how this clever move of using
a food scrap and giving it its own identity has helped escalate its acceptance by the
people so much over the years to the point that many “copycat” versions have also
emerged in order to capitalize on TGI Friday's famous appetizer. The next time you visit
Fridays, you surely would not want to miss out on those loaded potato skins complete
with melted cheese and crispy bacon. Now that’s repurposed scrap food that actually tastes
good as much as it sounds good.
No cash? No problem at TGI Fridays
By now we know that TGI Fridays doesn’t shy away from technology, be it the Flanagan
mixologist or the AI induced customer service. As part of innovation through rejuvenation
and upgrades on technological and décor fronts, the company as of 2012 has introduced a Mobile
app which is considered as a breakthrough. With an enhanced functionality and a recently
overhauled interface, the app lets you pay at the table. This is the next step to the
casual dining experience which the franchisee has promoted since its inception. Through
the app, you can browse the menu, track tabs, and pay bills. Also, tips for your server
can be accomplished through it. Its that simple and convenient. Since the 1960s TGI Fridays
has molded and pruned itself, keeping up with the times. In an era of technological innovation,
where information is accessible with but the press of your fingertips, the company has
managed to stay relevant. It has been accommodating different generations of people visiting its
various chains across the globe. The constant endeavor to set itself apart from other competition
is maybe why even after 52 years, Fridays is still the talk of the town and even places
like Moscow and India have got a taste of the American restaurant and bar. So next time
you visit, how are you mixing your drinks? We can’t recommend the perfect cocktail,
but we can definitely offer you tons of great videos. So hit that subscribe button, tap
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