TGI Fridays overhauls menu in comeback attempt after closing dozens of US locations

TGI Fridays is revamping its menu as part of its ‘comeback story’ (Picture: Shutterstock)

The popular American casual dining chain TGI Fridays is giving its menu a makeover in an attempt to bounce back from bankruptcy and restaurant closures.

TGI Fridays on Tuesday announced it is revamping 85% of its menu as part of its ‘ongoing comeback story’ as it pushes to keep the doors of its 89 remaining locations in the US open.

The chain filed for bankruptcy in November and has shuttered more than a 100 locations over the past year.

A TGI Fridays spokesperson said they ‘took a hard look’ at their existing menu and upgraded ingredients and cooking techniques to boost consistency and speed.

TGI Fridays focused on revamping its mozzarella sticks (Picture: TGI Fridays)

TGI Fridays’ CEO since April, Ray Blanchette, said it’s ‘just the beginning’ of the chain’s overhaul.

‘Fridays has a legacy worth celebrating, and we’re leaning into that,’ Blanchette told TODAY.com on Tuesday.

‘We leveled up the flavor on our Mozzarella Sticks, along with nearly the entire menu. Longtime fans will see familiar favorites made better, and first-time guests will get a fresh take on what makes Fridays special.’

The new TGI Fridays Big Queso Energy Burger (Picture: TGI Fridays)

Some items will disappear from the menu to make way for the new additions. ‘

TGI Fridays is reworking its mozzarella sticks, which it helped make popular in the 1980s. They will now come sauced with three flavors: RedHot Buffalo, Garlic Parmesan and the Whiskey Glaze only.

Other new items include the Big Queso Energy Burger, Loaded Tots and the TGI Sauce that is ‘creamy and tangy with a sweet-smoky kick’.

The new TGI Fridays Loaded Tots topped with cheese, bacon and green onions (Picture: TGI Fridays)

The chain is also debuting seven drinks including the The eL.I.T.e, Jack’s New Fashioned, Fri-Yay Rita, Turbo Toro, Tito’s Thunderbolt, The Late Checkout and Strawberry Henny.

TGI Fridays had 270 restaurants in America at the start of 2024, and had 164 left when it filed for bankruptcy near the end of the year. In its heyday in 2008, the chain had 600 locations.

The remaining locations are run by franchisees with an ‘advisory board empowering and shaping brand-wide decisions’, TGI Fridays stated in earlier this year.

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