T.G.I. Friday's(R) Restaurants Announce Five-Cent Appetizers for Its Cinco de Mayo Party

TGI Fridays
Published: April 17th, 2009

Friday's® May 5 Celebration to Include Free Food and Double Stripes for Give Me More Stripes™ Members and the Premiere of Friday's New Blackberry Margarita

Carrollton, Texas, // PRNewswire // -- T.G.I. Friday's restaurants (www.fridays.com) today announced plans for its May 5 Cinco de Mayo party which include select five-cent appetizers at the bar with the purchase of any beverage from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. local time for all guests, free food for Give Me More Stripes members, Friday's-style buttons and the introduction of Friday's new Blackberry Margarita - the latest in its line of margarita innovation.

"Cinco de Mayo may be on a Tuesday this year, but our bars will be partying like a Friday night," said Andrew Jordan, senior vice president of marketing for T.G.I. Friday's USA. "So come in and grab a Blackberry 'Rita; we'll hook it up with a five cent appetizer and, as always, a little something extra for our Give Me More Stripes members. No T.G.I. Friday's party is the same, so call your favorite Friday's restaurant to find out what they're planning."

In addition to being treated to free tortilla chips with salsa, guacamole, and Chipotle ranch, the more than 900,000 Give Me More Stripes (www.givememorestripes.com) members will also be awarded double stripes on May 5.

Friday's awards members stripes for dollars spent (excluding alcohol only purchases). Normally, for every $100 spent members receive 100 stripes. For each 100 stripes earned, members receive an $8 gift certificate. With double stripes being awarded on Cinco de Mayo, members can receive an $8 certificate for every $50 spent since every dollar equals two stripes ($50 = 100 stripes = $8 gift certificate).

About Give Me More Stripes

The only nationwide in-restaurant program of its kind with more than 900,000 members in the U.S., Give Me More Stripes offers the following perks at participating restaurants:

• Personalized & customized membership card
• Free appetizer or dessert coupon after sign-up (up to an $8 value)
• One-time use jump-the-line-pass
• $8 certificate for every $100 spent (excluding alcohol-only purchases)
• Exclusive communication about specials and food/drink previews

Since the program's formal launch in July of 2008, members have been treated to the following:

• Complimentary members-only food such as chips and dip and hummus and chips
• Free takeaway snacks like Cheddar and Bacon Potato Skins
• Free dessert during Black Friday Weekend
• Red and white chips at the World's Largest Inauguration Party
• Double stripes on special party days throughout the year
• $5 coupons off Ultimate Recipe Showdown entrees
• Free Crispy Green Bean fries as part of The Game We Can't Name Eve party
• Free birthday dessert with the purchase of an entree
• Voting privileges to determine the All-American Drink
• Free Spiced Up Cupcakes on Valentine's Day with the purchase of two entrees
• Free order of Cajun French Fries at Mardi Gras Friday's Style party
• Free half order of Loaded Potato Skins during Friday's St. Patrick's Day party
• Double stripes during April as part of International Customer Appreciation Month
• Exclusive coupon offers such as one cent appetizers and one dollar entrees

About Carlson Restaurants Worldwide

Carlson Restaurants Worldwide Inc., the parent company of T.G.I. 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 April 2009, Carlson Restaurants Worldwide owns, operates, franchises or licenses more than 1,000 restaurants in 60 countries.

SOURCE: T.G.I. Friday's USA