TGI Fridays opening £3.5m flagship Leicester Square restaurant
Located beneath Capital Radio, it will be the 70th TGI’s opening in the UK, featuring 260 internal and 60 external covers and creating 150 new jobs.
Describe by the chain as the 'Friday's jewel in London's crown', the site has undergone a multi-million pound refit to create an open kitchen and large four-sided standalone bar.
The announcement follows a strong financial year for the brand, which has seen profits rise 16 per cent and sales growth of over 10 per cent in the first nine months of 2015.
The group said it was planning to continue growing the ‘Fridays footprint’ in the UK, with four more restaurants set to open in 2015 and a further eight launching in 2016.
Karen Forrester, CEO for TGI Fridays UK, said: “This landmark opening comes at an important time for the brand this year, which has gone from strength to strength,.
“It also represents a new era for Fridays as we turn thirty next year; the Leicester Square restaurant will set new UK and international guest experience and sales records from its opening, and we’re continuing to explore similar sites around the country that’ll strengthen this position.”
Bill Priestley, partner at Electra Partners – which owns the chain – said the group was continuing to develop TGI Fridays' 'ambitious' growth plans.
“This adds to the huge pipeline of new stores coming up both this year and into 2016, with hundreds of new jobs being created up and down the country," he said.
