TGI Fridays is betting on a sweeping menu overhaul and signature cocktails to revive its brand after bankruptcy slashed its U.S. footprint by two-thirds.
At a Glance
- TGI Fridays relaunches 85% of its menu in a bid for recovery
- Bankruptcy cut locations from 270 to 89 nationwide
- CEO Ray Blanchette aims to blend nostalgia with bold innovation
- New items include mozzarella sticks, loaded burgers, and signature drinks
- Menu reboot promises faster prep and broader customer appeal
Menu Makeover After Meltdown
After emerging from bankruptcy in November 2024, TGI Fridays is attempting a culinary comeback. On May 14, the chain—now reduced to just 89 locations across the U.S.—unveiled a drastically reimagined menu with 85% new items, including the Big Queso Energy Burger and enhanced mozzarella sticks with adventurous dipping sauces. The revamp is designed not only to modernize the brand but to improve service speed and reignite customer enthusiasm.
Watch a report: TGI Fridays Bets Big on a New Menu.
The move is part of a broader strategy to reconnect with its loyal fan base while attracting younger diners unfamiliar with the brand’s 1990s heyday. It’s a high-stakes gamble in a saturated casual dining market, where nostalgia must now share the table with novelty and speed.
Shaking Up the Bar Scene
In addition to its bold new food offerings, TGI Fridays is reinvigorating its beverage program with seven creative signature cocktails. Standouts include The eL.I.T.e—a remix of the classic Long Island iced tea with lemonade—and Jack’s New Fashioned, made with Jack Daniel’s. Other additions like the vibrant Fri-Yay Rita and the adrenaline-spiked Turbo Toro (tequila with Red Bull Tropical) are meant to inject new energy into the chain’s social atmosphere.
Fridays hopes these drinks will do more than quench thirst—they’re designed to enhance the dining experience and signal a fresh identity without abandoning the brand’s roots in lively, bar-centric service.
Leadership at the Helm
Guiding this transformation is newly reappointed CEO Ray Blanchette, who took the reins in April 2025. Blanchette is no stranger to the Fridays brand and is tasked with restoring relevance while tightening operations. He describes the new menu as both a tribute and an evolution: updated flavors for classics and daring new offerings for modern tastes.
“We leveled up the flavor on our Mozzarella Sticks, along with nearly the entire menu,” Blanchette stated. “Longtime fans will see familiar favorites made better, and first-time guests will get a fresh take on what makes Fridays special.”
In an industry where many legacy chains have faded, TGI Fridays is hoping its rebooted identity—part throwback, part reinvention—can fuel a rare second act. Whether the brand can sustain the momentum or simply fizzle in a crowded field remains to be seen, but its menu-driven revival signals a bold attempt to reclaim the American casual dining stage.
