- TGI Fridays is overhauling its entire menu, with plans to have replaced or improved 100% of items by the end of 2018.
- A trip to the chain shows that some of the changes are not the improvements that TGI Fridays desperately needs.
- However, the power of one particular appetizer reveals a reason to hope for the future of Fridays.
TGI Fridays is making some major changes.
In February, the chain announced it had reached the halfway point in its efforts to completely revamp its menu — a mission it plans to complete by the end of 2018. At that point, the chain had rolled out 30% new menu items and improved 20% of its existing options.
According to CMO Stephanie Perdue, Fridays is "stepping away from casual dining."
"I think it's all about returning to the roots of Fridays,"Perdue told Business Insider."We started as the original singles' bar in New York City."
Fridays is eager to escape the sales slump that has forced casual-dining chains like Chili's and Applebee's to close dozens of locations. Many sit-down casual-dining chains have been hit hard in recent years, as millennials have gravitated towards quicker and less expensive options.
In an effort to see if Fridays had been successful in its mission, Business Insider bravely ventured to a New York City location. Here's what it's like to visit TGI Fridays as the chain struggles to turn business around:
We visited a Fridays nestled within the Financial District in New York City.
Fridays' extensive menu tries to play up the bar-centric aspects of the chain, emphasizing appetizers and a certain trendy aesthetic that the chain hasn't quite earned — but it's within reach.
We started off our meal with a Fridays classic: the Best Fridays Margarita (BFM). It may be the best Fridays has to offer, but the marg is certainly not making any "best margaritas" lists. We still finished our drinks, of course.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider