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The basics:

• TGI Fridays rebuilding after November 2024 bankruptcy filing
• Six New Jersey locations remain open under new franchise ownership
• Chain plans global growth to 1,000 locations by 2030
• Strategy focuses on menu innovation, value deals and guest experience

Who doesn’t love Fridays?

TGI Fridays was a once a powerhouse in the casual dining scene known for its lively atmosphere, happy hours and fan favorite American comfort foods like loaded potato skins, burgers and chicken wings. With over 600 U.S. locations and hundreds more internationally at its peak, TGI Fridays was a globally recognized brand that combined strong operational scale with a fun guest experience.

Now as the 61-year-old chain rebuilds in the wake of its November 2024 bankruptcy, leadership is working to recapture Fridays’ reputation as “the most celebratory, craveable brand in casual dining.”

Of the 78 remaining Fridays locations in the U.S., the surviving six in New Jersey are part of that effort to turn the brand around. Now under new franchise ownership, the outlets in East Windsor, Burlington, Linden and West Orange are focused on “bringing Fridays back better than ever,” says area Marketing Manager Kimberly Martin.

Since last summer, Martin has been working with Fremont, Calif.-based hospitality group Maui 1 Enterprises to reintroduce East Windsor to guests and to reopen a Fridays in Bensalem, Pa.

Mixed message

After years of media coverage about the chain’s financial and operational struggles, Martin said most of the customers who pop in tend to say the same thing: “Well, I didn’t know you guys were even still open.”

“A lot of people got that mixed message that it was the end of the brand,” she said. “So, we are spreading the message because most people are still under the impression that every Fridays is closed or that it’s going to close. It’s kind of a fresh start for everyone. There’s no more looming bankruptcy over anybody’s head anymore because it’s under different operations … We are really bringing back the old school Fridays’ values before everything started going downhill.”

As part of a new strategy, Fridays aims to grow from roughly 380 locations globally to more than 1,000 restaurants domestically and internationally by 2030. The plan also targets a rebound toward $2 billion in annual revenue before the next decade begins.

With this “1-2-3 Strategic Vision” plan announced in January, the Dallas-based chain outlined four core priorities aimed at stabilizing the business and reigniting growth.

Leading the revival is Ray Blanchette, an industry veteran who spent most of his career with Fridays. His two stints with the company included serving as CEO from 2018 to 2023. Fridays brought back Blanchette in January 2025 to help stabilize operations and align franchise strategy after the bankruptcy filing.

Reviving its reputation

For starters, Fridays hopes to revive its reputation as a true destination for casual dining and fun nights out. That means menu innovations, creative beverage programs and marketing efforts designed to drive traffic and reconnect with longtime fans who drifted away in recent years.

Fridays is also pursuing flexible expansion that allows for asset-light, franchise-led growth across a range of formats, from traditional restaurants to non-traditional venues like airports and hotels. That includes looking at new regions, like Africa, Southeast Asia and the Balkans, alongside key U.S. and U.K. markets.

Additionally, leadership is intent on strengthening the franchise system to ensure each location runs smoothly, is profitable and gets necessary support. Another priority revolves around investing in people and performance with training to make sure guest experience is consistent and top-notch across all markets.

In a recent statement about the turnaround effort, Blanchette shared, “TGI Fridays pioneered the casual bar and grill category and continues to introduce Americana culture to millions around the world.”

“Our focus as we accelerate our growth is to resonate with the next generation of consumers while preserving the classic Americana feel and signature experience that has made the brand beloved in more than 40 countries,” he said. “Through these strategic pillars, we honor the heritage of the Fridays brand while appealing to today’s guests who crave bold flavors, high-energy experiences, and reasons to celebrate every day.”

Casual closures

In filing for Chapter 11, Fridays joined an ever-growing list of legacy casual dining chains that have turned to bankruptcy to shed debt, close unperforming locations and recalibrate after years of declining traffic, rising costs and shifting consumer habits.

Following bankruptcy, brands like Red Lobster and Hooters emerged with new leadership, reduced footprints and refreshed menus. They are also leaning more heavily into franchising and focused on improving unit-level profitability rather than rapid expansion.

Even before pursuing Chapter 11, Fridays closed nearly 100 underperforming locations in an effort to bolster finances and streamline operations.

Within New Jersey, company-owned and operated sites have gone dark over the past two years in Toms River, Eatontown, Brick, Hazlet, Bridgewater, Cherry Hill, North Brunswick, Piscataway, Watchung, Hackensack, Wayne, Iselin/Woodbridge, Eatontown, Springfield, Princeton, Marlton, Franklin, East Brunswick and Old Bridge.

As for corporate-run restaurants that did not close as part of the winddown, many of those were purchased by new franchise groups via bankruptcy auctions. Fridays in East Windsor, Burlington, Linden and West Orange, are among the 27 locations across the Mid-Atlantic that Maui 1 took over.

Setting the record straight

Martin believes the bankruptcy caused confusion, particularly because the filing only applied to the roughly 40 company-owned U.S. locations. The vast majority of the system that was run by about four dozen franchisees was not included in the filing and continued operated normally.

“We now have new management with new teams that have a motivation to restart,” she said. “The corner bar vibe of Fridays is something I’m proud to be a part of reviving. With the current social climate we are facing, having somewhere to go that brings back a sense of community and fun without breaking the bank and still giving you a unique memorable experience is a rare find.”

For Martin, the success of Fridays is personal. Her journey with the company began as a host at the now-shuttered Mount Laurel location. She went on to hold positions as a server, line cook, bartender and associate manager before becoming a full manager for about five years.

“What has always made Fridays unique is the diversity of their team and being able to spotlight a fun and creative environment and culture; that brings to life trending food and drinks with a unique Fridays flare,” she said.

She left Fridays in 2023 and returned last year to work with Maui 1. In East Windsor, Martin focuses on managing the bar, as well as marketing efforts. She has done similar work for Bensalem.

‘A bad taste’

Martin said she’s excited to build and maintain community connections.

“While we were corporate … we did have community outreach. But the last two years, it was kind of a downhill struggle, so obviously the focus is no longer going to be on community engagement. It’s going to be on what they can do to save the brand,” she said.

Rapid changes in leadership did little to keep the chain steady. After Blanchette’s exit in May 2023, Fridays went through two CEOs over a two-year period before he returned.

“It was kind of hard to perfect anything when you don’t know what your focus is. I think they were kind of spread too thin and losing sight of the Fridays on a smaller community scale,” Martin said, adding that “inconsistent service and inconsistent recipes” also “put a bad taste in customers’ mouths.”

“Or, if we didn’t get a liquor order that week because the company was struggling. It leaves a bad impression,” she continued.

Martin said, “I think a lot of failed attempts just kind of put everybody at their wit’s end with trying. I think that a lot of good management jumped ship because they could tell that the company was dying and as the first couple started to close, you had people who’ve worked for the company for 20, 30 years that were really at a loss at what location they were going to end up at.”

“Luckily, at the East Windsor location and the Burlington location, we have a couple of veterans that have worked for the company for 40 years, 20 years, 15 years and can remember how it felt before they lost their hope,” she said.

“Now, we don’t have the looming debt over us or the worry if we are going to get our next truck or who’s going to close next. Now that everybody kind of has that security of ‘we’re here and we’re rebuilding,’ so we can reach back out to the local community, the local businesses, schools and sponsorships and really put our roots back in as opposed to having that looming demise of who’s going to close next,” she said.

‘Unmistakably Fridays’

A Fridays spokesperson said that while there are “critical standards from a brand standpoint” franchisees are offered flexibility “to ensure they’re able to provide the best experience to guests and employees in their unique markets, while maintaining brand consistency.”

“Examples would be specific menu offerings that can be customized to a local market or flavor, certain promotions or specials that make sense at a local level, or design elements specific to that location. That said, all deviations require central brand approval,” they said.

The media representative added that there is an array of “well-established brand standards that every franchisee proudly brings to life — from the menu and marketing to team training, uniforms and the look and feel of each restaurant.”

“That shared commitment is what ensures that every location feels unmistakably Fridays,” they said.

Flexibility

As a franchised site, Maui 1-run Fridays’ locations are given some flexibility on what specials and features it offers in hopes of rekindling “that corner bar warmth and familiarity,” Martin said.

“When it comes to drink specials or what beers we have on tap, we can go to local distributors and feature more of the local community as opposed to what everyone else is doing,” she said. “We have more freedom in how we decorate the restaurant, how we do a layout or what specials we do.”

For instance, East Windsor is kicking off a music bingo program featuring drink specials, app specials and prizes on Wednesdays, while Bensalem has a DJ who plays R&B on Fridays. And plans are in the works to start Ladies Night on Thursdays in Burlington.

“We have karaoke at a couple different locations that is maybe twice a month. Then also, Industry Night, which is a late night on Monday that features half price apps and exclusive $5 cocktails to any service workers that are getting off work,” Martin said.

When those sites were corporate-run, Martin said ownership “was a little more tough” on those types of programs because the focus was on “consistency across the board.”

“So, we weren’t able to offer that kind of narrowed down, unique-to-the-area opportunities,” she explained.

Breaking out the flare

As for what remains the same across all Fridays’ locations, Martin said the quarterly rotating core menu and value meals are the main aspects. “There are a lot more affordable options. We’re back to quality distributors and quality recipes … we have different half-price specials and happy hours to really appeal to everybody,” she said.

“People want to go further with their pocket, and I think what differentiates Fridays from the other chain restaurants is that we’re still able to bring the fun Fridays’ flare to make it a little bit interesting for them,” she said. “We have a new fondue sizzle that’s coming out that has that viral cheese pool, so you can still have the fun that’s affordable … For a $3 up charge we put the trending cheesy spin on some of our favorites, guests can choose to fondue the big queso energy burger, bacon burger, potato skins, original crispy chicken sandwich and truffle shroom burger.”

Martin highlighted a $9.99 meal deal that allows guests to choose from a variety of entrees and sides with a fountain drink. Other promotions include 50-cent wings on Monday nights and kids eat free with the purchase of an adult entrée on Tuesdays.

“A big focus of ours is appetizers. That’s the newest trend everywhere – people want to share and be able to pick different things without overspending. So we have a lot of different appetizer options and then half-price apps from 9 p.m. to close,” she said. “You’re getting the full portion size but at a value deal.”

“For specific all-day value entrees, they are a smaller portion size and only have one side instead of two. And I think that makes it perfect for guests who come in, enjoy their time, eat their food and don’t have to leave with leftovers or leave food waste behind,” she said, adding, “I think it’s better to have a smaller portion because the kitchen can really focus on the recipe and how it delivers to a guest.”

There are limits, you know

While all-you-can-eat apps and unlimited meal deals can create buzz and bring in guests, they also have major drawbacks, such as high food costs, pressure on staff and profit hits.

For instance, Red Lobster reportedly lost about $11 million after making its endless shrimp offer a permanent fixture on the menu. The seafood dining chain cited the promotion as one of the factors that caused it to file Chapter 11.

Fridays previously experimented with adding a $10 endless apps deal permanently to its menu around 2017 after several limited-time runs as a way to drive traffic. According to a report by Yahoo, the offer was quietly axed within two years amid customer complaints about price increases and menu limitations.

Martin said, “I think it’s better to have half price than the endless because the server has to focus on all those different entrees and bringing out all the apps at different times and changing it. And you have that for multiple tables, so you’re putting in 10 times the work for a check that is a fraction of the cost. So, it’s really a lot of stress on industry workers to keep up with that demand with no increase in pay, especially with tip culture as it is.”

Additionally, Martin said they worked on tweaking the happy hour program. Besides adjusting the hours to accommodate different kinds of workers, the locations added specials such as $5 cocktails, select draft beers and bar bites.

“The structure of the world – especially since COVID – has changed,” she said. “Liquor sales in general have changed, too. Overall, cocktails are not as popular of a trend because no one wants to spend $15 on one drink when they’re trying to make ends meet.”

“So, our happy hours are now 3 to 6 p.m. and then 9 p.m. to close to give more room for different schedule structures for people who get off work a little later, like health care workers. Between three and six, it still gives room for the average nine to five office worker in the area. Or even someone working remote who brings their laptop in and has their $5 glass of wine as they’re finishing out the day.”

Just a twist

When it comes to obstacles, Martin feels the biggest is “changing the taste in the people in our guests’ mouths from the bad experiences they had while we were struggling because we’re still under the same name.”

“We just have to really show everyone that the locations that are here are here to stay and we’re willing to rebuild and go in a different direction to bring everybody back home,” she said.

Beyond that, Martin said the cost of running a restaurant is an industry-wide challenge – especially as consumers continue to pull back on spending.

We just have to really show everyone that the locations that are here are here to stay and we’re willing to rebuild and go in a different direction to bring everybody back home.
– Kimberly Martin, TGI Fridays area marketing manager

According to a July 2025 analysis from restaurant platform Popmenu, 61% of Americans say they’re cutting back on dining out. Roughly 37% reported visiting restaurants less frequently over the past 12 months due to rising meal prices and stretched budgets. At the same time, operators are facing higher food and labor costs that have risen sharply above pre-pandemic levels, the survey found.

Martin said, “You want to be able to show you’re going to provide a consistent product that’s worth it. And for us, a lot of that is the signature Fridays’ flare. It’s the core values of taking something simple and turning it into something fun.”

“You can go to any bar and get a $5 cocktail. But, you might not get the flare from the bartender or you might not get the specific garnish, And really just the little twist that adds a curve of fun to give the escape from the struggles of everything that’s going on right now,” she said.

Looking ahead, Martin said Maui 1’s leadership approach mirrors Blanchette’s vision of crafting experiences “that transform a meal into a moment.”  She also said Fridays Senior Director of Operations Jackie Martinelli and Fridays Director of Operations Eduardo Ramon have been instrumental in the group’s success in the region.

“It’s effortless for our guests, theatrical for our dining rooms, and designed to create the kind of memories that keep people coming back to celebrate with us,” she said.