Dive Brief:

• TGI Fridays added several new menu items, including at least four appetizers, two salads and a bowl, as part of its ongoing effort to remake its menu, according to a Tuesday press release. 
• The menu changes also include a non-alcoholic beer, Upside Dawn, which is brewed by Athletic Brewing Company.  
• Beginning in June, TGI Fridays has undertaken a series of menu changes in a drive to modernize its menu and attract younger audiences.

Dive Insight:

TGI Fridays’ preceding menu upgrades include the addition of the Grilled & Sauced menu, with six proteins and nine sauces for customers to mix and match, and the expansion of the company’s partnership with C3’s virtual brand Krispy Rice. Additional menu items doesn’t mean that Fridays will eliminate its bestselling appetizer, like Loaded Potato Skins, Traditional Wings and Mozzarella Sticks, as part of the menu makeover, according to the press release.

“Alongside the all-new options, the brand is serving its fan favorite starters with fresh twists,” the company said. The release did not elaborate on the changes to the popular appetizers.

According to the menu for pickup at a TGI Fridays in Greenbelt, Maryland, there are a total of 13 new menu items. The press release highlighted seven. The company did not immediately respond to a request to clarify how many new items it added.

The new menu items span a range of price points, the company said, starting at around $3. Fridays said its appetizer list now totals 18 options.

TGI Fridays CEO Brandon Coleman III said in a statement that the menu changes accounted for customer input.

“Our guests are looking for a greater variety of bold and exciting flavors that can be enjoyed any time of day and these new offerings deliver on those expectations,” Coleman said. 

Coleman, who assumed overall leadership of the brand in the late summer, has been working on updating its menu since he first joined as president and chief marketing officer in 2022. At the time of his promotion to CEO, Coleman teased a major menu addition to come this fall. TGI Fridays did not immediately respond to a question asking how it had developed these new menu items or whether it had tested them prior to Tuesday’s announcement. The chain also recently added a party and events service, offering several packages of menu items at three different price points.