TGI Fridays President and CEO Rob Palleschi's vision of what a TGI Fridays restaurant should finally became a reality with the opening of its reimaged restaurant in Corpus Christi, Texas last March 7.
According to Palleshi, the updated restaurant is the product of TGI Friday's ongoing innovation in the way the company delivers that TGI Fridays way of a casual dining experience. Palleshi added that it could be seen as a repositioning to a certain degree but it's definitely a re-invention.
Indeed, the March 7 reopening of the Corpus Cristi branch saw major changes according to Ron Ruggless' NRN article, which include:
1. Fridays Offsite - A new space was opened to appeal the coffee shop crowd. Along with great Wi-Fi, there are no fuss menu items like grab-and-go sandwiches, cookies, brownies, salads and parfaits. This area is meant for customers who want to do some work or even do some offsite work meetings in the restaurant.
2. Multi-bar areas - The newly renovated restaurant features multi-bar areas where juice and coffee platforms were added. This would offer an added convenience for customers where their favorite drink is just within easy reach.
3. Extended Store Hours - A more inclusive store hours of 7 am to 2 am will soon be adopted by the Corpus Christi branch. The move is seen as an accommodation for patrons who might want to start their day early or want to end it a little late for that extra post-work de-stressing routine.
4. Entertainment for the late-night crowd - This includes live music, trivia and "Drop the Mike" nights which would certainly make spending evenings at TGI Friday a pleasurable and relaxing experience for patrons. New products in the works include late-night drinks offering as well as a new juice platform.
5. Saturday and Sunday Hangover Brunch - Those who might have partied a little too hard on a Friday or Saturday night will have one cool place to hangout the morning after. Brunch menu items include "Bears and Berries Waffles," bourbon steak and eggs as well as chicken and waffles. In addition, the selections of fresh-squeezed juices and other non-alcoholic drink available in the bar should be enough to rejuvenate and renew the body.
TGI Fridays new owners, private-equity firms Sentinel Capital Partners and TriArtisan Partners, bought the restaurant chair from the long-time owner Carlson Restaurants Inc. back in 2014 for $800 million according to Gillian Tan's article in the Wall Street Journal. This new rebranding represents the direction the restaurant chain's new owners want to take for the firm to successfully compete against rivals in the food industry.
