TGI Fridays plans to open more US-style restaurants in India

 Premium American casual dining restaurant chain TGI Fridays (TGIF) — derived from the expression, ‘Thank God! It’s Friday’ — is exploring a major expansion push in India, with a strategy aimed at doubling its restaurants, and revamping its existing restaurant layout and appearance.

Over the next four years, the company plans to double its restaurants to 30 outlets, from the current 15. Meanwhile, a few of the existing 15 restaurants will be revamped with a new look in a phased manner, over the next three years. The company is investing around Rs 85 crore from internal accruals to realise its plans.

“We have operated in large cities of Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Pune and Mumbai, since we are assured of a captive customer base here that is internationally aware with better exposure, and demands our product,” TGI Fridays India Chief Executive Officer Rohan Jetley told Deccan Herald.

Accordingly, TGIF’s restaurant expansion is in the same markets, while it watches tier II markets closely. “Our restaurants are a combination of high street, standalone and mall formats in the areas of 4,000-8,000 sq ft, and will continue to remain so,” Jetley said.

A fresh appeal

The second part of TGIF’s expansion strategy is the revamp of its current restaurants, for which it has already selected four outlets. Restaurants at Chennai and Hyderabad already carry the new look, while Kolkata and Bengaluru will follow suit.

“There are three principles behind the new design for our restaurants. First, the bar has been placed in the centre, secondly, we’ve incorporated a live kitchen, along with an open wood fire pizza oven, and lastly, we’ve integrated multiple customised dining levels,” he said.

“Being a traditional American-style restaurant, our interior decor was largely akin to the 1950s USA. But we’ve grown into a more contemporary restaurant chain, needing an urbanised adult-oriented, sophisticated and dynamic decor, reflecting a modern Manhattan, New York sort of character,” Jetley added.

The restaurant serves a large American palate, offering Tex Mex cuisine (food from Texas and Mexico), with over 50 items on menu, which are refurbished every three months, based on customer tastes.

Accordingly, TGIF sources around 25 per cent of its ingredients from the US to maintain the originality, quality and authenticity of its food, while it is aiming at a 100 per cent local supply chain.

The total casual dining restaurant segment is valued at Rs 3,950 crore in India, while pubs and bars are valued at Rs 540 crore, and TGIF is part of both segments.