TGI Fridays™ Survey Reveals Millennials Are Key Piece of the "Friendsgiving" Holiday Pie

Data Reveals How Millennials Are Celebrating Thanksgiving Equally with Both Family and Friends

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Nov 25, 2014, 12:01 ET

CARROLLTON, Texas, Nov. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Millennials are keeping the focus on a traditional family-style Thanksgiving but also extending the warm feeling of togetherness to include friends. According to a new survey released today from TGI Fridays, more than 30 percent of Millennials have celebrated a "Friendsgiving"- a Thanksgiving eve or day celebration with friends only. They are nearly twice as likely to do it again this year. After all, nearly half of Millennials believe time with friends is just as good as spending Thanksgiving with family… and TGI Fridays is the solution for social togetherness with friends.

Spend Friendsgiving at Fridays. You do the gobbling. We do the dishes.

The national consumer poll, conducted by Penn Schoen Berland on behalf of TGI Fridays, shows that one in every four Millennials plans to attend a "Friendsgiving" this year. On average, nearly a third of Millennials have celebrated a Friendsgiving compared to only twenty percent of the general population. Still, there is a heavy emphasis on family among Millennials with three fourths saying they still plan to have a traditional Thanksgiving holiday with their family.

Millennials who choose to be with friends want to hang out…..Some fun facts surrounding the poll shows that Millennials would love to spend their Friendsgiving with the cast of the "Big Bang Theory" and have their Friendsgiving dinner prepared by celebrity chef Guy Fieri. If they were to have Thanksgiving dinner at a celebrity's house, they'd choose to give thanks with Will, Jada, Willow and Jaden Smith.

Whether celebrating a traditional Thanksgiving or trendy Friendsgiving, both Millennials and the general population agree that family and food are the most important aspects of the holiday. While turkey may be number one in the hearts of most polled, Millennials voted pie as their favorite Thanksgiving staple.

"The survey results show what we already know about Millennials – they are traditional in some aspects but value friends nearly as much as they value family," said Brian Gies, chief marketing officer of TGI Fridays. "While a bit traditional with holiday events, they are looking for things slightly different than other generations. While there is always plenty of appetite for traditional favorites, Fridays serves up green beans, potatoes and pumpkin pie with a twist - how about green bean fries, loaded potato skins and ending your meal with a pumpkin spice martini?"

No matter if the holiday plans are at TGI Fridays or home, one out of every three Millennials has social plans on top of their traditional Thanksgiving plans. This year, TGI Fridays will be hosting plenty of Friendsgiving celebrations on Thanksgiving Eve, Thanksgiving and Black Friday with many locations offering $10 Endless Appetizers and $3 beers for all those celebrating time together. Whether with family or friends, TGI Fridays has the ultimate deals and atmosphere for the best memories this holiday season.

About TGI Fridays:

As the original casual dining bar and grill, TGI Fridays offers 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" was the concept's founding premise, from which the brand promise "In Here, It's Always Friday®" was born. To share that social Fridays experience all over the world, TGI Fridays proudly serves guests with over 900 restaurants in more than 60 countries. Making every day feel like a Friday wouldn't be possible without creating a place where friends feel free to get together. That's why TGI Fridays takes pride in its nearly 8,000 skilled and knowledgeable bartenders, all of whom for the past twenty years have competed annually for the title of the "World's Greatest TGI Fridays Bartender."

The Fridays guest recognition program, Give Me More Stripes®, gives Fridays' closest friends exclusive insider rewards, special event access, and menu sneak peeks, and is not only the first loyalty program of its kind in the industry, but one of the most progressive.

TGI Fridays believes in having a good time, but also in the importance of drinking responsibly. Additionally, its Responsible Business Program is focused on positively impacting the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.fridays.com or follow us on Twitter at @TGIFridays.

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SOURCE TGI Fridays