Latest news with #SimonWilkinson
Metro
28-05-2025
- Business
- Metro
American restaurant announces ‘major comeback' in UK with first-ever breakfast menu
It's been 39 years since American chain TGI Fridays launched here in the UK, with the first restaurant opening in Birmingham in 1986. Since then, they've opened dozens more and today they have 49 locations nationwide. The chain's parent company Hostmore went into administration in October 2024 which saw a number of sites shutter, but the brand has since been purchased by Breal Capital and Calveton (Evolv Collection), with a major relaunch planned for July 4. As part of this, the menu is being overhauled both here and across the pond, with TGI Fridays launching its first-ever breakfast offering in the UK, as part of what Simon Wilkinson, board director and operating partner at Evolv and TGI Fridays, described as 'the comeback of all comebacks'. The new 'Rise and Dine' menu is available now at more than 20 of the chain's restaurants and prices start from £5. Dishes available include a bacon ciabatta (£5), a Breakfast Melt featuring pulled beef, pulled pork or crushed avocado (from £6.50) and a literal tray of food known as the All-American Slam (£10.95). This beast of a breakfast features pork sausages, bacon, fried eggs, sautéed mushrooms, baked beans, grilled tomato, hash brown bites and toasted ciabatta bread. Still hungry? Another new dish boasts an 8oz steak, mushrooms, grilled tomato, a fried egg and hash brown bites for £14.95. And for those who prefer something a little sweeter, there's also a triple stack of pancakes topped with Oreo crumble and vanilla ice cream (£8) or the Big New Yorker (£9) which sees pancakes topped with maple glazed bacon, crispy chicken strips, a fried egg and maple syrup. Vegetarian options will be available too, incluidng The Garden State Slam (£10.95) made with plant-based chicken, smashed avocado, Cajun-spiced corn chips, fried eggs, hash brown bites and toasted ciabatta. And there's a Hash Brown Stack (£7) where the bites are loaded up with melted cheese, pink pickled onions and a fried egg before being drizzled in a maple siracha dressing. Those who fancy it can also add BBQ pulled pork or maple glazed bacon too. No menu change would be complete without a few new drinks, which TGI Fridays are calling 'Sunrise sips'. These beverages are available in the morning for £5.73 each and include the Gold Medalist (banana, strawberry, pineapple and grenadine), Fresh as Cucumber (cucumber, lemon, elderflower, cranberry and soda water) and Minty Apple Soda (apple, vanilla, mint and soda water). A selection of fresh apple, cranberry, orange or pineapple juice is also available for £4 each. Full list of TGI Fridays locations that offer breakfast: Birmingham NEC (event days only) Bluewater Bournemouth Braintree Crawley Cribbs Causeway Doncaster Glasgow Fort High Wycombe Junction 27 Lakeside Quay Leeds White Rose Liverpool One Meadowhall Milton Keynes Milton Keynes Stadium Norwich Nottingham Rushden Lakes Silverburn St David's (Cardiff) Teesside Telford The O2 Trafford Centre Union Square Aberdeen Watford Central Wembley Do you have a story to share?
Metro
28-05-2025
- Business
- Metro
American restaurant chain unveils first breakfast menu in UK with dishes from £5
It's been 39 years since American chain TGI Fridays launched here in the UK, with the first restaurant opening in Birmingham in 1986. Since then, they've opened dozens more and today they have 49 locations nationwide. The company went into administration in October 2024 which saw a number of sites shutter, but it has since been purchased by Breal Capital and Calveton (Evolv Collection), with a major relaunch of the brand planned for July 4. As part of this, the menu is being overhauled both here and across the pond, with TGI Fridays launching its first-ever breakfast offering in the UK, as part of what Simon Wilkinson, board director and operating partner at Evolv and TGI Fridays, described as 'the comeback of all comebacks'. The new 'Rise and Dine' menu is available now at more than 20 of the chain's restaurants and prices start from £5. Dishes available include a bacon ciabatta (£5), a Breakfast Melt featuring pulled beef, pulled pork or crushed avocado (from £6.50) and a literal tray of food known as the All-American Slam (£10.95). This beast of a breakfast features pork sausages, bacon, fried eggs, sautéed mushrooms, baked beans, grilled tomato, hash brown bites and toasted ciabatta bread. Still hungry? Another new dish boasts an 8oz steak, mushrooms, grilled tomato, a fried egg and hash brown bites for £14.95. And for those who prefer something a little sweeter, there's also a triple stack of pancakes topped with Oreo crumble and vanilla ice cream (£8) or the Big New Yorker (£9) which sees pancakes topped with maple glazed bacon, crispy chicken strips, a fried egg and maple syrup. Vegetarian options will be available too, incluidng The Garden State Slam (£10.95) made with plant-based chicken, smashed avocado, Cajun-spiced corn chips, fried eggs, hash brown bites and toasted ciabatta. More Trending And there's a Hash Brown Stack (£7) where the bites are loaded up with melted cheese, pink pickled onions and a fried egg before being drizzled in a maple siracha dressing. Those who fancy it can also add BBQ pulled pork or maple glazed bacon too. No menu change would be complete without a few new drinks, which TGI Fridays are calling 'Sunrise sips'. These beverages are available in the morning for £5.73 each and include the Gold Medalist (banana, strawberry, pineapple and grenadine), Fresh as Cucumber (cucumber, lemon, elderflower, cranberry and soda water) and Minty Apple Soda (apple, vanilla, mint and soda water). A selection of fresh apple, cranberry, orange or pineapple juice is also available for £4 each. Birmingham NEC (event days only) Bluewater Bournemouth Braintree Crawley Cribbs Causeway Doncaster Glasgow Fort High Wycombe Junction 27 Lakeside Quay Leeds White Rose Liverpool One Meadowhall Milton Keynes Milton Keynes Stadium Norwich Nottingham Rushden Lakes Silverburn St David's (Cardiff) Teesside Telford The O2 Trafford Centre Union Square Aberdeen Watford Central Wembley Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ View More » MORE: The UK's best restaurant has been crowned and it sells 'superb' £10 sandwiches MORE: Rare Cadbury chocolate bar spotted in UK and fans say it's 'delightful' MORE: French fast food chain with 'top notch' burgers is launching in UK
Miami Herald
17-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Bankrupt restaurant chain makes bold comeback in surprise market
Some restaurant chains become more than just places to eat; they are nostalgic symbols in our lives, and when their time runs out, having to say goodbye feels like losing a beloved memory. From its first location in New York City, this restaurant chain has established itself as an American classic due to its bar food and great happy hour beverage deals. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Although it's an American chain, the brand has become a staple and gained the hearts of many fans worldwide, having expanded into 60 countries. Related: McDonald's menu adds experimental new items fans will love TGI Fridays quietly began closing dozens of locations nationwide in early of 2024, claiming it was a strategic move to boost growth by shedding underperforming restaurants. However, the shutdowns were ongoing, reaching around 50 before the company finally made an announcement that many feared would become a reality. TGI Fridays filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November of last year, as it was $37 million in debt. At the time of the filing, it owned fewer than 40 company restaurants, over 120 franchises, and 316 international locations. The restaurant chain attributed its demise to the Covid pandemic, which forced the company to temporarily close locations for multiple months, causing it to lose revenue and suffer the aftermath of the slowdown in consumer spending. Related: Bankrupt restaurant chain offers new deal, stiff drink TGI Fridays managed to secure financing, which allowed all restaurants to proceed with regular operations, although the bankruptcy only affected the company and not its franchisees. In January of this year, TGI Fridays got court approval to sell nine corporate-owned restaurants in the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport and Maryland for $34.5 million, which will help repay creditors' loans. TGI Fridays is undergoing a significant restructuring process after the tumultuous bankruptcy filing in the U.S. and across 60 countries worldwide. At the time of the bankruptcy filing, the company had nearly 90 franchised locations in the UK, many of which were also at risk of shutting down. However, Breal Capital and Calveton acquired the UK branch in 2024, rescuing the brand from disappearing in the region while preventing the closure of 51 locations and the loss of thousands of jobs. The once-beloved restaurant chain has faced a tough time in the last few years, but its UK management is unwilling to give up on it. More Retail News: Aldi acquires multiple locations from bankrupt retail chainTaco Bell takes its Mexican menu somewhere unexpectedWhen you'll see empty retail store shelves due to tariffs TGI Fridays and Evolv Collection Board Director and Operating Partner Simon Wilkinson announced that TGI Fridays is relaunching in the UK on July 4, the most patriotic day in the U.S. "Now turning around a brand that has lost it way over circa 7 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," said Wilkinson in a LinkedIn post. No specific details about the relaunch were revealed, but Wilkinson said it will be the "comeback of all comebacks" and expressed hope for the brand's future. Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TGI Fridays set for brand relaunch on US Independence Day
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. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
