Ray Blanchett

We have an atmosphere that is conducive to social interactions and social connections. And so that's why I think the brand gets turned around.

We have an atmosphere that is conducive to social interactions and social connections. And so that's why I think the brand gets turned around.

Absolutely fair. Not only fair, but accurate and true. And it worked.

Absolutely fair. Not only fair, but accurate and true. And it worked.

I still remember vividly the first time I saw a platter of baby back ribs, right? I mean, it's like the length of the entire platter. And then you get this big pile of fresh cut French fries. You get this big pile of coleslaw. And then you get the apple butter barbecue sauce.

I still remember vividly the first time I saw a platter of baby back ribs, right? I mean, it's like the length of the entire platter. And then you get this big pile of fresh cut French fries. You get this big pile of coleslaw. And then you get the apple butter barbecue sauce.

And I just, I remember watching it go by and I thought, my God, that is one of the most beautiful plates of food I've ever seen.

And I just, I remember watching it go by and I thought, my God, that is one of the most beautiful plates of food I've ever seen.

People are yelling back and forth. Everybody had to be where they were supposed to be at the right time where you dropped the ball. And so it was it was like a Cirque du Soleil show back there in the kitchen. I mean, it was crazy. And we would have people literally lined up down the entire front side of the building. We had theater ropes and you'd have to go out there at 115 ish usually.

People are yelling back and forth. Everybody had to be where they were supposed to be at the right time where you dropped the ball. And so it was it was like a Cirque du Soleil show back there in the kitchen. I mean, it was crazy. And we would have people literally lined up down the entire front side of the building. We had theater ropes and you'd have to go out there at 115 ish usually.

and say, you know, from this point in the line back, you're not going to get in tonight. You know, being three and four deep was an everyday occurrence.

and say, you know, from this point in the line back, you're not going to get in tonight. You know, being three and four deep was an everyday occurrence.

Back when I was running Europe, it was literally six years or seven years after the wall came down.

Back when I was running Europe, it was literally six years or seven years after the wall came down.

All the former Soviet bloc countries were emerging markets for us. I opened three restaurants in Poland in 12 months. I opened the first restaurants in Russia and the Czech Republic and Hungary. It was fascinating.

All the former Soviet bloc countries were emerging markets for us. I opened three restaurants in Poland in 12 months. I opened the first restaurants in Russia and the Czech Republic and Hungary. It was fascinating.

Chocolate pudding, Oreo crumbs, and gummy worms, kind of leeching out a little bit.

Chocolate pudding, Oreo crumbs, and gummy worms, kind of leeching out a little bit.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Long Island iced tea. Yeah. I can't say that I drink a lot of Long Island iced teas, but I think if I was going to tell somebody, what cocktail should you have if you're going to Friday's for the first time? Well, you got to have an L.I.T.,

Long Island iced tea. Yeah. I can't say that I drink a lot of Long Island iced teas, but I think if I was going to tell somebody, what cocktail should you have if you're going to Friday's for the first time? Well, you got to have an L.I.T.,

What's up, G? Want to go to Chachki's, get some coffee?

What's up, G? Want to go to Chachki's, get some coffee?

The private equity group that had bought Fridays called me and said, hey, do you want to, would you be willing to come back to TGI Fridays? We're in kind of a situation and... I mean, to me, it was a job of a lifetime. It was my dream job, so I was happy to come back.

The private equity group that had bought Fridays called me and said, hey, do you want to, would you be willing to come back to TGI Fridays? We're in kind of a situation and... I mean, to me, it was a job of a lifetime. It was my dream job, so I was happy to come back.

Today, I'm undercover in my own company, TGI Fridays, to make sure our strict standards are being upheld.

Today, I'm undercover in my own company, TGI Fridays, to make sure our strict standards are being upheld.

You know, I grew up in a TGI Fridays that was fanatical about standards. I mean, there would never be broken equipment. There would never be a leaky roof that didn't get rectified immediately. The standard was set at every level in the organization. And so when you see that we'd allowed the business to not adhere to those same high standards, that was distressing.

You know, I grew up in a TGI Fridays that was fanatical about standards. I mean, there would never be broken equipment. There would never be a leaky roof that didn't get rectified immediately. The standard was set at every level in the organization. And so when you see that we'd allowed the business to not adhere to those same high standards, that was distressing.

They were more committed to some of these initiatives that I was less excited about. And it's their ball and their field, so they get to decide. But, you know, I wasn't going to compromise my integrity or pretend that, you know, that I believed in these initiatives anymore.

They were more committed to some of these initiatives that I was less excited about. And it's their ball and their field, so they get to decide. But, you know, I wasn't going to compromise my integrity or pretend that, you know, that I believed in these initiatives anymore.

Like sushi inside the restaurant. Yeah, I just thought it was ridiculous.

Like sushi inside the restaurant. Yeah, I just thought it was ridiculous.

What the f*** is that?

What the f*** is that?

When you walk into a hotel and you're checking in at 9 o'clock at night and you look over and you see that it's a Friday's Cafe or Friday's Grill, whatever you call it, it's a relief because now you know your rental car is parked, you can trust that you're going to get a good hamburger, and you don't have to leave.

When you walk into a hotel and you're checking in at 9 o'clock at night and you look over and you see that it's a Friday's Cafe or Friday's Grill, whatever you call it, it's a relief because now you know your rental car is parked, you can trust that you're going to get a good hamburger, and you don't have to leave.

Internationally, we're still signing new development agreements. We have 30 restaurants in Manila. Well, we have zero restaurants in Bangkok, right? So when I think of South and Southeast Asia... There's nothing in Vietnam. There's hardly anything in India. We still have big opportunity. We're not in Singapore. I mean, there are a lot of places for us to continue to grow with the right partners.

Internationally, we're still signing new development agreements. We have 30 restaurants in Manila. Well, we have zero restaurants in Bangkok, right? So when I think of South and Southeast Asia... There's nothing in Vietnam. There's hardly anything in India. We still have big opportunity. We're not in Singapore. I mean, there are a lot of places for us to continue to grow with the right partners.

I'm going to be the guy that brings the people together that change the trajectory of the business, right? I mean, if I haven't learned anything over 30 years, I've certainly learned that our brand is expressed through people, right? This is a labor-intensive business and the culture and the values and sort of establishing the white lines in the road for how we're going to interact.

I'm going to be the guy that brings the people together that change the trajectory of the business, right? I mean, if I haven't learned anything over 30 years, I've certainly learned that our brand is expressed through people, right? This is a labor-intensive business and the culture and the values and sort of establishing the white lines in the road for how we're going to interact.

That's a really important piece of any turnaround, but especially at Fridays. It starts culturally within the Fridays family.

That's a really important piece of any turnaround, but especially at Fridays. It starts culturally within the Fridays family.

You should be in one of my restaurants at 10 o'clock at night. You'd have a hard time saying this place isn't fun. I mean, cool, I think, is ridiculous, right? You can't chase cool. I mean, James Dean. I mean, people are going to, you know, we're not trying to be cool. We have food that people get excited about.

You should be in one of my restaurants at 10 o'clock at night. You'd have a hard time saying this place isn't fun. I mean, cool, I think, is ridiculous, right? You can't chase cool. I mean, James Dean. I mean, people are going to, you know, we're not trying to be cool. We have food that people get excited about.

We have an atmosphere that is conducive to social interactions and social connections. And so that's why I think the brand gets turned around.

Absolutely fair. Not only fair, but accurate and true. And it worked.

I still remember vividly the first time I saw a platter of baby back ribs, right? I mean, it's like the length of the entire platter. And then you get this big pile of fresh cut French fries. You get this big pile of coleslaw. And then you get the apple butter barbecue sauce.

And I just, I remember watching it go by and I thought, my God, that is one of the most beautiful plates of food I've ever seen.

People are yelling back and forth. Everybody had to be where they were supposed to be at the right time where you dropped the ball. And so it was it was like a Cirque du Soleil show back there in the kitchen. I mean, it was crazy. And we would have people literally lined up down the entire front side of the building. We had theater ropes and you'd have to go out there at 115 ish usually.

and say, you know, from this point in the line back, you're not going to get in tonight. You know, being three and four deep was an everyday occurrence.

Back when I was running Europe, it was literally six years or seven years after the wall came down.

All the former Soviet bloc countries were emerging markets for us. I opened three restaurants in Poland in 12 months. I opened the first restaurants in Russia and the Czech Republic and Hungary. It was fascinating.

Chocolate pudding, Oreo crumbs, and gummy worms, kind of leeching out a little bit.

Yeah.

Long Island iced tea. Yeah. I can't say that I drink a lot of Long Island iced teas, but I think if I was going to tell somebody, what cocktail should you have if you're going to Friday's for the first time? Well, you got to have an L.I.T.,

What's up, G? Want to go to Chachki's, get some coffee?

The private equity group that had bought Fridays called me and said, hey, do you want to, would you be willing to come back to TGI Fridays? We're in kind of a situation and... I mean, to me, it was a job of a lifetime. It was my dream job, so I was happy to come back.

Today, I'm undercover in my own company, TGI Fridays, to make sure our strict standards are being upheld.

You know, I grew up in a TGI Fridays that was fanatical about standards. I mean, there would never be broken equipment. There would never be a leaky roof that didn't get rectified immediately. The standard was set at every level in the organization. And so when you see that we'd allowed the business to not adhere to those same high standards, that was distressing.

They were more committed to some of these initiatives that I was less excited about. And it's their ball and their field, so they get to decide. But, you know, I wasn't going to compromise my integrity or pretend that, you know, that I believed in these initiatives anymore.

Like sushi inside the restaurant. Yeah, I just thought it was ridiculous.

What the f*** is that?

When you walk into a hotel and you're checking in at 9 o'clock at night and you look over and you see that it's a Friday's Cafe or Friday's Grill, whatever you call it, it's a relief because now you know your rental car is parked, you can trust that you're going to get a good hamburger, and you don't have to leave.

Internationally, we're still signing new development agreements. We have 30 restaurants in Manila. Well, we have zero restaurants in Bangkok, right? So when I think of South and Southeast Asia... There's nothing in Vietnam. There's hardly anything in India. We still have big opportunity. We're not in Singapore. I mean, there are a lot of places for us to continue to grow with the right partners.

I'm going to be the guy that brings the people together that change the trajectory of the business, right? I mean, if I haven't learned anything over 30 years, I've certainly learned that our brand is expressed through people, right? This is a labor-intensive business and the culture and the values and sort of establishing the white lines in the road for how we're going to interact.

That's a really important piece of any turnaround, but especially at Fridays. It starts culturally within the Fridays family.

You should be in one of my restaurants at 10 o'clock at night. You'd have a hard time saying this place isn't fun. I mean, cool, I think, is ridiculous, right? You can't chase cool. I mean, James Dean. I mean, people are going to, you know, we're not trying to be cool. We have food that people get excited about.