TGI Fridays Brings the Heat With New Fire-Grilled Meats, Marks Milestone Toward Complete Menu Overhaul by End of 2018

Since Fridays' bold declaration last year that it was stepping up – and stepping away from – the casual dining category, the brand has remained true to that promise by making significant investments to improve the quality of its menu, working category-by-category to implement upgrades focused on fresh and all-natural ingredients.

Fridays isn't compromising on delivering new menu items and is providing menu selections guests deserve and asked for. Among Fridays' new offerings are a 6-ounce Premium Center-Cut Sirloin, 14-ounce Bone-In New York Strip, Dragon-Glazed Salmon, Bacon-Wrapped Grilled Shrimp and Parmesan-Crusted Chicken – all of which join Fridays' Big Ribs on the Fire-Grilled Menu. Additional menu upgrades include new and improved sides like Crispy Brussel Sprouts, Baked Mac & Cheese and Giant Onion Rings.

But with so many new premium options, how do you pick just one? Answer: you don't. Enter the Fridays Choose Two Meats Off The Grill, giving guests an opportunity to enjoy 15 different combination of fire-grilled entrees, including sides, for $14.99. Choices include:

New Fire-Grilled Entrees on the Choose Two Menu:

• NEW Center-Cut Sirloin
  • A 6-ounce premium center-cut sirloin seasoned with a hickory smoked sea salt, topped with parmesan butter.
• NEW Half-Rack of Fridays Big Ribs
  • Fridays Big Ribs are 30% meatier, bolder and tastier premium pork back ribs that are cooked low and slow in-house.
• NEW Dragon-Glazed Salmon
  • An Atlantic salmon filet brushed with a sweet and spicy Korean BBQ sauce and topped with a mango pico de gallo, made in-house daily.
• NEW Bacon-Wrapped Grilled Shrimp
  • Two skewers of three large jumbo shrimp, wrapped in hardwood smoked bacon and brushed with a parmesan butter sauce.
• NEW Parmesan-Crusted Chicken
  • A new and improved Parmesan-Crusted Chicken topped with a white poblano queso and toasted with crispy Parmesan bread crumbs.

"Any iconic legacy brand must continuously evolve to stay relevant and successful. As such, Fridays is focused on being a unique dining destination, which means offering high-quality, craveable menu items you can't find anywhere else," said Fridays Chief Marketing Officer Stephanie Perdue. "Innovation isn't the end product. Innovation is a culture grounded in a strategic vision and willingness to take risks, which in this case means investing in our menu and offering those premium items at a price point that our guests not only find valuable, but keeps them coming back for more."

Perdue is just one of the executive leaders committed to building a distinct Fridays experience, working closely with CEO Aslam Khan, who joined the company in April 2017, and Senior Director of Culinary Innovation David Spirito, who brings more than 20 years of culinary expertise to the Fridays test kitchen in Dallas.

Last spring, the brand introduced the Fridays Burger Bar, with a line of burgers (including the Buffalo Wingman and New Philly Cheesesteak Burgers) all featuring a new patty blend of chuck and brisket on a challah bun, leading to a 15 percent increase in sales from the Burger Bar menu, which now includes the protein-based Beyond Meat Burger. Most recently, Fridays Big Ribs made big news in the category with a 30 percent meatier, juicier rib cooked low and slow for hours – leading restaurants nationwide to 36 percent sales growth. Other improvements include salads, sandwiches and sides – and the brand is setting its sights on new pastas and desserts. These new menu items are currently garnering overwhelmingly positive feedback in test markets thanks to Chef Spirito's focus on clean, fresh ingredients and unique flavor combinations.

For more information on TGI Fridays, visit www.Fridays.com. 

About TGI Fridays
In 1965, Fridays opened its first location in New York City. Today, there are 890 restaurants in 60 countries offering high quality, authentic American food and legendary drinks, served with genuine personal service. Bringing people together to socialize and celebrate the freeing and liberating spirit of "Friday" is the concept's founding premise, from which the brand promise "In Here, It's Always Friday^®" was born. For more information, visit www.Fridays.com or follow us on Twitter at @TGIFridays

SOURCE TGI Fridays

Related Links

http://www.Fridays.com