Cocktails and bants – TGI Fridays was unlike anything we had seen before

How Greater Manchester embraced the American flair and gargantuan burgers of TGI Fridays

The US fast food chain TGI Fridays is reported to be in jeopardy after its owners Hostmore suffered a near-total collapse in its share price. As a result its owners have put all of its 87 UK restaurants up for sale.

The chain first came to popularity in Britain in the late 1980s and early ’90s thanks to a surge of interest in American fast food. While McDonald’s had already cemented its presence on the UK’s high streets, the nation’s craving for American cuisine continued to grow.

Among the chains that crossed the pond was TGI Fridays. The restaurant-bars were established in New York in 1965 by Alan Stillman as a celebration of the weekend; the name itself an acronym for ‘Thank God It’s Friday’.

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Originally part of the US singles bar scene, it was famed for bartenders performing impressive juggling stunts or “flares”, such as pouring drinks into shakers from great heights or tossing bottles between them. However, towards the late ’80s, TGI Fridays began to shift its focus from singles to family dining.

Offering American bistro-style dishes, bar snacks, and a range of alcoholic drinks, the inaugural New York eatery was decked out in the iconic red-and-white striped décor that remains a hallmark of the brand. With its stateside success and the UK’s burgeoning appetite for American dining experiences, the first TGI Fridays opened its doors in Birmingham in 1986, the Manchester Evening News previously reported.

Following closely behind, a second establishment welcomed patrons in London’s Covent Garden in 1987. By the decade’s close, additional locations had sprung up in Fareham, Reading, and Cardiff.

It wasn’t until the early 1990s that Greater Manchester experienced the buzz of a new bistro, complete with a sparkling side-order of American-style razzmatazz. In December 1990, Greater Manchester welcomed its first TGI Fridays in Cross Street in Sale.

All staff employed at the restaurant would be paid on a commission basis. Some would get a percentage of the total food and drink sales, while others would be paid according to their own sales.

Sean Wheeler, the new store’s opening manager told the M.E.N. in 1990 that the commission pay at the new US inspired bistro was a powerful incentive, adding: “We’re looking for highly motivated, bright personalities.”

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Hiring processes for the restaurant involved vigorous American-style auditions at Granada Studios in Manchester. Candidates were assessed on abilities from cocktail shaker juggling to clearing and dressing a table within a minute, to handing out greetings with a genuine American smile all in the hope of securing a position.

In fact, the TGI Fridays practice of providing diners with a great customer service experience was based on the cheerful American trade of a Dub Dub – which is what the serving staff were known as. Dub Dubs are staff drilled in the art of making sure their customers go home replete with jokes and banter, and wowed by other gimmicks like juggling and magic tricks, all performed with impeccable table craft and cheeriness.

This was a novel experience for Brits, more accustomed to the more impersonal service often found at many motorway cafes. Many of the chain’s employees were students or graduates, but it also attracted many outgoing young people with performing aspirations much like US restaurants, especially those in Los Angeles, are known for employing aspiring actors.

However, before they could interact with the customers, staff had to complete a rigorous training course in maintaining a positive attitude. There was even a 12-point code of conduct for staff to adhere to at all times, which included welcoming guests within 30 seconds, as well as concluding the evening with a courteous “Goodnight” and a genuine invitation to return.

Shortly after the restaurant opened, a reviewer from the M.E.N. was dispatched to TGI’s in Sale to provide their opinion on the new restaurant concept.

They wrote: “Just the location of TGI Friday’s affords the stamp of authenticity; like most of its American counterparts it sits, surrounded by an extensive car park, close to a major motorway junction.

“And inside the low-rise, pitched roof building there’s a Disneyland of coloured glass, flickering video screens, loud music and theatrical staff. They wear the same red and white striped-livery as the plastic tablecloths, though appear to be licensed to decorate their uniforms and badges and anarchic headgear.”

The restaurant-bar was adorned with large Tiffany lamps and an assortment of classic Americana items such as snow-shoes, giant moose heads, vintage guitars and squeezeboxes, fishing baskets and even a portrait of President Roosevelt. A stained glass telephone kiosk added to the eclectic décor.

The reviewer was impressed by the extensive cocktail menu, boasting over 500 options. They were also pleasantly surprised by the generous portion sizes, noting that the brie and toasted almond starter was as large as a main course.

The menu offered customisable pizzas, gargantuan burgers, Tex-Mex dishes and desserts, all served in US-sized portions.

But it wasn’t just adults who could enjoy the restaurant. On weekends, a Kids’ Club was available, offering parents a stress-free dining experience while their children were entertained by staff dressed as astronauts, ducks, clowns, cowgirls, cowboys and cows.

Activities such as balloon modelling, magic tricks, drawing, colouring and face-painting were provided. For birthday celebrations, waitstaff would don sombreros, bandanas, bowler hats or sequinned Donald Duck hats, singing Happy Birthday as they presented the cake.

While the American-inspired service and cuisine may be commonplace now, it was a novel concept in the early ’90s. However, for a long time it proved to be a successful one.

Since TGI Fridays established its first branch in Greater Manchester, it has expanded to eight locations across the region. These include the original Sale restaurant, as well as branches in Prestwich, Ashton Under Lyne, Bolton, Cheadle, and in Manchester itself, at Piccadilly, the Trafford Centre and Manchester’s Royal Exchange.