Facebook Fans Give the Gift of a Cold Brew with T.G.I. Friday's® Buy Your Friend A Beer App

CARROLLTON, Texas, June 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Unofficially dubbed the "summer of beer" by Friday's® and its Better with Brew menu, Facebook users can help their friends cool down during the hot months via the new Buy Your Friend A Beer application. And, just in time for Father's Day, sons and daughters can finally move on from the go-to gifts of socks or a tie and buy dad a beer for his special day.

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Any Facebook user 21 years and older can buy their Facebook friends up to five beers simply by "liking" the Friday's fan page and placing an order through the custom tab. Recipients receive an electronic gift card to redeem in restaurant. The purchase price is set at $5, regardless of the recipient's regional location, and is redeemable for any beer of choice, non-alcoholic beverage or food item at any local T.G.I. Friday's.

The Buy Your Friend A Beer app is an extension of Friday's summer-long celebration of the relationship between great food and a cold draft, pairing innovative dishes with the bold, hoppy flavors of regional craft beer. Introduced last month, Friday's is offering menu items that incorporate beer into the food recipe. Entree examples include the Black Angus Brew House Steak which is prepared with a beer and citrus marinade, and the Ale House Baby Back Ribs which are slow-cooked and fire-grilled with craft beer. With the new application, guests can easily pair a beer with their meal, courtesy of a Facebook friend.  

"Who doesn't love being treated to a beer? Whether to celebrate or commiserate, friends have been buying friends beers for centuries and our guests are no exception to this tradition," said Shannon Gewinner, vice president, brand marketing, T.G.I. Friday's. "No matter the time or place, our guests can share that Friday feeling and use this latest app to surprise their Facebook friends, including dads, with a cold one this summer."

Along with a wide variety of draft and bottled beer available at Friday's, guests redeeming an e-gift card can also choose from the following, new regional craft beer selections (availability varies by state):

• Harpoon IPA
• Magic Hat #9
• New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale
• Goose Island Honkers Ale
• Abita Amber
• Alaskan IPA (Alaska only)
• Boulevard Wheat
• Uinta Cutthroat Ale (Utah only)

For more information and to buy a beer, consumers can visit www.facebook.com/TGIFridays. For T.G.I. Friday's news and updates, follow the brand on Twitter @TGIFridays and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/tgifridays).

About T.G.I. Friday's

T.G.I. Friday's offers a unique, casual experience delivering on its brand promise of "In Here it's ALWAYS Friday" melding authentic and imaginative American food, exciting and innovative drinks and a one of a kind service experience to provide liberation from the everyday -- turning any day into a FRIDAY! It is also famous for its knowledgeable and charismatic bartenders, nearly 8,000 of whom compete annually for the title of the "Greatest T.G.I. Friday's Bartender in the World." As the original casual dining restaurant, Friday's delights guests in more than 900 restaurants across more than 60 countries around the globe. For more information, visit www.fridays.com.

SOURCE T.G.I. Friday's