TGI Fridays set for brand relaunch on US Independence Day

GlobalData

Mon, May 12, 2025, 11:47 AM 2 min read

TGI Fridays, the American bar and restaurant brand, is gearing up for a significant brand relaunch and repositioning, scheduled to be unveiled on 4 July 2025, coinciding with US Independence Day.

The relaunch comes after the UK franchise of TGI Fridays was acquired by Breal Capital and Calveton in 2024, saving 51 locations from closure.

The brand's rejuvenation is being led by CEO Julie McEwan, who, according to Simon Wilkinson, board director and operating partner for TGI Fridays and the Evolv Collection, is working with the team to reverse the brand's decline.

In a LinkedIn post, Wilkinson described the initiative as "the comeback of all comebacks."

He said: “TGI Fridays has had a tough time over the last few years.”

“We acquired the business back in October and rescued it out of administration. Such processes are tough, when people should be praising the investors for putting their own money into rescuing a much-loved brand the contrary happens, and you get criticised for not saving certain locations and having to make redundancies. The good guys become the bad guys, but that’s the reality and having a thick skin helps. The team have had to put up with a lot of flak, negativity and energy sapping noise.”

He added: “Now turning around a brand that has lost it way over circa seven years is a tough ask in any market. In the current market it’s a heavy lift and requires a tremendous about of work by everyone connected with the brand. There are no guarantees, and boldness, bravery, hard work and commitment may not be enough.”

“However, we as a collective are going to try our hardest. Under the leadership of Julie Mcewan the team are working their socks off to revert the decline and reposition the brand.”

The acquisition by Breal and Calveton in October of the previous year was a critical move that preserved the majority of TGI Fridays' UK sites.

However, the transition has not been without its challenges, as a further two locations, including the flagship Leicester Square restaurant, have since closed, leaving the chain with 49 restaurants in the UK.

The necessity for a rebrand was underscored by the financial difficulties faced by TGI Fridays' former owner, Hostmore, which entered administration in September 2024, after halting an all-share acquisition of the TGI Fridays' US business.

In a recent development, the US-based chain, which had declared bankruptcy, received court approval to sell nine of its corporate-owned restaurants for $34.5m.

"TGI Fridays set for brand relaunch on US Independence Day" was originally created and published by Verdict Food Service, a GlobalData owned brand.