On March 15, 1965 casual dining got a serious kick start. That’s when a fun-loving New Yorker named Alan Stillman purchased a bar located on 1st Avenue and 63rd Street and named it T.G.I. Friday’s … Thank God It’s Friday’s. Okay, so his main goal was to meet stewardesses, but what he didn’t know at the time was that he was going to create what is now referred to as the casual dining industry.
From that moment on, lunch, dinner and drinks took on a whole new meaning. His restaurant quickly turned into the place to be for a helluva good time on any day, but especially on Friday’s.
The first T.G.I. Friday’s restaurant was an overnight sensation. What began as the ultimate “singles’ bar became a destination synonymous with FUN for couples, co-workers and buddies. Friday’s® was different and it became THE place to see and be seen.
Stillman’s ideas fashioned the legacy that exists in all Friday’s restaurants to this day. The décor, music, lights and staff continue to provide a lively, eclectic and engaging atmosphere. (Just the thing to scare off wallflowers and still-lifes.) It’s the perfect place for celebrating virtually anything among super-social butterflies.
So come in, catch the big game over beers, mingle, gossip with the girls, connect with friends or make new ones. All while enjoying fantastic food you can’t find anywhere else, like our signature Jack Daniel’s Grill®.
Today, T.G.I. Friday’s offers a casual dining experience unlike any other, where you can expect great food, drinks and plenty of fun to go around at 928 locations in 44 states and 61 countries. Just don’t expect a dull moment at any of them.