TGI Fridays has signed its first U.S. development agreement in more than a decade, marking a renewed push into the domestic market as the casual-dining brand works to rebuild its restaurant footprint.
The agreement with franchisee Bliss Bites LLC calls for five new TGI Fridays restaurants across New York State over three years. Bliss Bites has also acquired the existing Central Islip location, giving the franchisee a six-restaurant portfolio in the state once the planned openings are completed.
The deal is part of Fridays’ broader “1-2-3 Strategic Vision,” which targets more than 1,000 restaurants and $2 billion in annual revenue by 2030. The strategy is built around brand activation, flexible market growth, a stronger franchise system and performance through people.
The domestic agreement is notable because much of Friday’ s recent expansion activity has been outside the U.S. The company said it has added more than 150 restaurants to its portfolio since January, with international development agreements spanning markets including Kenya, the Maldives, Peru, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, Greece, Cyprus and Spain.
The U.S. push comes roughly two years after TGI Fridays emerged from bankruptcy proceedings and at a dramatically smaller domestic scale than the brand operated at its peak.
Fridays currently has nearly 400 restaurants across almost 40 countries, but fewer than one-quarter are in the United States. Its U.S. footprint has fallen to 69 locations, compared with more than 600 domestic restaurants at its peak.
That makes the New York agreement more than a single franchise development deal. It represents an attempt to rebuild domestic scale through franchise-led expansion rather than returning immediately to the company’s former company-wide footprint.
New York also carries particular significance for the brand. TGI Fridays opened its first restaurant on Manhattan’s Upper East Side in 1965, making the new agreement a return to one of the markets most closely associated with its history.
Bliss Bites is led by Vinod Chand, who brings more than 35 years of hospitality experience. TGI Fridays COO Ashley Kirkley said the agreement reflects the company’s focus on selecting the right franchise partners as it pursues growth.
