AMERICAN casual-dining restaurant TGI Fridays is marking its 20 years in the Philippines amid growing sales, new-store openings and a recent industry citation that honors its excellent operations.
Bistro Group President and COO Jean Paul Manuud attributed this to the company’s resilience as exemplified by the “Steel Pole Theory.”
“We stuck to the brand’s DNA and focused on executing the brand’s commitment,” he said. “TGI Fridays never wavered on giving guests the best that they deserve. Despite the rise of consumer goods and the high cost of supplies, we continued to use premium ingredients in all our dishes. Like a steel pole, we never bend.”
He also gave credit to the restaurant’s loyal base of employees, guests, suppliers and even the landlords for its strategic locations throughout the country.
Driving sales further, TGI Fridays has embraced changes to keep up with the customers’ evolving tastes and be in tune with new technology trends.
“We never stopped innovating since Day One because we always want to enhance value and customer experience,” Manuud said.
TGI Fridays recently launched the remodeling of some of its stores with a “fresher, more hip look and feel,” including those in Glorietta, Greenbelt 3, Malate and SM Fairview.
To date, it is present in 16 locations nationwide. The group will be opening more stores in the next few years to bring the brand closer to people.
“Twenty years from now, we still see Fridays as a dominant player in the casual-dining industry,” Manuud said. “Our promise to deliver consistently good, quality service in a fun Fridays’ experience, any time of the day, any day of the week has been one and the same since 20 years ago. For us, this is serious business.”