TGI Fridays CEO explains how the corporate is making a comeback after submitting for chapter in 2024.
Two widespread restaurant chains are throwing shade at one another on social media over which one has the higher mozzarella sticks, although punches have been thrown beneath the belt when one questioned if the opposite was nonetheless in enterprise.
Chili’s Grill & Bar shared a tweet from TGI Friday’s Thursday and took just a few digs within the course of.
“Somebody tell to stay in their lane,” TGI Fridays posted on X. “Y’all are not mozzarella stick people. We are. That’s it. That’s the tweet.”
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A number of of Chili’s followers have been additionally shocked TGI Fridays was nonetheless open, one writing, “BURNNN! This calls for a trip to Chili’s!”
One other follower wrote, “OMG, I think I just witnessed a murder.” One other follower wrote, “I can’t remember the last time I seen a TGI Fridays except for in the frozen section.”
Chili’s responded to the latter, writing, “ooooop.”
However many followers caught to the topic at hand: Which restaurant chain is healthier?
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A buyer walks towards a Chili’s Grill & Bar restaurant in San Antonio. (Callaghan O’Hare/Bloomberg by way of Getty Pictures / Getty Pictures)
“They’ll never have the triple dipper, and for that, they will envy you forever,” one follower wrote to Chilis, which, in flip, responded, “They can never achieve triple dipper excellence.”
One other follower wrote, “Might have to get Chilis tonight just because of this tweet. Roasted them.”
“We bring the heat!” Chili’s wrote again “Hope we see you tonight.”
In a submit of its personal, TGI Fridays did not name out Chili’s on X however shared the restaurant chain’s submit, saying, “is the cheese pull challenge accepted or nah?? “
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Chili’s and TGI Fridays didn’t reply to FOX Enterprise’ request for touch upon the social media battle that ensued Thursday.
Earlier than the spat, TGI Fridays wrote on X that its new menu was out, including that the “mozz sticks hit harder. happy hour’s calling. life’s good.”
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TGI Fridays has been aiming for a comeback after dozens of eating places closed after a chapter submitting. (Jim Walsh/Courier-Submit/USA At the moment Community by way of Imagn Pictures / IMAGN)
The chain has been aiming for a comeback after a difficult yr that noticed dozens of closures and a chapter submitting.
The corporate joined numerous eating places that filed for cover in chapter courtroom in 2024 after failing to handle the heavy debt amassed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ticker Safety Final Change Change % EAT BRINKER INTERNATIONAL INC. 148.64 -2.33
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The restaurant’s footprint within the U.S. has considerably diminished to 85 lively websites, lower than a 3rd of the quantity that operated within the U.S. firstly of 2024.
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TGI Fridays shuttered greater than two dozen places, and, throughout the restructuring, the corporate bought 27 of its 39 corporate-owned items to franchisees, transitioning to a full franchisee-led mannequin. In January 2025, former CEO Ray Blanchette, founding father of Sugarloaf TGIF Administration, returned to steer the corporate once more.
Past menu innovation, TGI Fridays can be shifting the way it presents itself. The corporate is “changing the brand voice and freshening it up,” focusing extra on partaking customers by means of social media quite than conventional TV advert campaigns, in response to Blanchette.
FOX Enterprise’ Daniella Genovese and Aislinn Murphy contributed to this report.
