T.G.I. Friday's Launches 'Give Me More Stripes' Guest Recognition Program (Press Release)

Friday's(R) becomes only casual dining chain to implement nationwide in-restaurant guest recognition program of its kind.

-- Chain Leader, 7/15/2008 7:10:00 AM

CARROLLTON, Texas, July 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a soft launch that elevated over 300,000 of its best guests to members, T.G.I. Friday's restaurants (www.fridays.com) today announced the formal nationwide launch of the company's Give Me More Stripes (www.givememorestripes.com) guest recognition program.

"The 'Give Me More Stripes' program is about enhancing our guests' experience at Friday's restaurants," said Andrew Jordan, senior vice president of marketing for T.G.I. Friday's USA. "This fun and innovative loyalty program is designed to reward and recognize our best guests in the manner that is most meaningful to them."

"The 'Give Me More Stripes' program is more revolutionary than evolutionary," added Jordan. "We wanted to keep the spirit of rewarding our best guests through a loyalty program which is exclusive to the T.G.I. Friday's brand, but also create an industry-first by extending it to an in-restaurant experience that only Friday's could pull off."

Early membership benefits include:
-- Personalized & customized membership card
-- Free appetizer or dessert upon sign-up (up to $8 value)
-- One-time use jump-the-line-pass
-- $8 certificate for every $100 spent (excluding alcohol)
-- Exclusive communication about specials and food/drink previews 

"Those are the immediate and tangible value components of the program that are ongoing: the more you spend at Friday's restaurants, the more you receive," continued Jordan, "But the spirit of the program is more than just dollars off. It's about special treatment that will continue to evolve and will be shaped according to guest feedback and individuals' preferences."

Earlier this month, Friday's began surprising Give Me More Stripes members in participating U.S. restaurants with complimentary Friday's Chips and Dip (fresh, crispy golden crown potato chips sprinkled with a Parmesan Romano cheese blend and served with sides of green Chile sour cream sauce and Ranch dressing) or Hummus and Chips (a blend of chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and roasted garlic and served with warm Friday's red and white tortilla chips). It is a while-supplies-last early thank you to its newest members.

According to a recent survey(1) conducted by Harris Interactive(R) on behalf of T.G.I. Friday's restaurants, nearly nine in ten (87%) of U.S. adults would find membership in a restaurant recognition or rewards program appealing. Of those adults, nearly eight in ten (79%) would find complimentary food/drink an appealing feature in a restaurant recognition and rewards program membership.

"The beauty of this program is what's to come based on our continued research and more importantly, what our guests tell us they want. The T.G.I. Friday's brand will continue to lead the way in listening to the consumer. The guests will continue to be our guide," Jordan concluded.

Carlson Restaurants Worldwide Inc., the parent company of TGI Friday's Inc., is a privately held company owned by Minneapolis-based Carlson, a world leader in the hospitality, travel and marketing industries. As of July 2008, Carlson Restaurants Worldwide owns, operates, franchises or licenses more than 1,000 restaurants in 59 countries. For more information, visit http://www.fridays.com. 

(1) About the Survey

This Restaurant Loyalty Program study was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of T.G.I. Friday's between April 10 and April 14, 2008 among 2,511 U.S. adults ages 18+. For complete methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Derek Farley, DFPR, for T.G.I. Friday's.