The Hospitality Hangout
The Hospitality Hangout
Join Michael Schatzberg aka Schatzy (The Restaurant Guy) and Jimmy Frischling (The Finance Guy) on The Hospitality Hangout as they explore hospitality, food service, and investment trends while connecting with industry leaders. Each week, receive insider insights and funny stories that shape the hospitality landscape. They live at the intersection of hospitality, food service, technology, and investment, connecting the biggest players and boldest ideas shaping the industry. Each week, they serve up funny, informative, and wildly entertaining conversations with the insiders who are leading a new era of hospitality. From emerging brands and breakthrough tech to industry trends and restaurant success stories, no topic is off the table. It’s where the who’s who of hospitality hangs out – packed with expert insights, laugh-out-loud moments, and must-know trends that keep you ahead of the game. 🍽️ Tune in, grab a drink, and let’s talk shop! 🚀
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Sept. 1, 2026

The Friday Feeling: Inside TGI Fridays’ Comeback

The Friday Feeling: Inside TGI Fridays’ Comeback

Ray Blanchette joins Hospitality Hangout to talk about capturing the Friday Feeling and rebuilding TGI Fridays for its next chapter. From potato skins and Jack Daniel’s ribs to menu upgrades, bar flair, off-premise, Olo, social media, mocktails, global growth, and the return of casual dining, this is the TGI Fridays comeback story.

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On this episode of Hospitality Hangout, Ray joins the show live from The Prosper Forum in Orlando, Florida to talk about capturing the Friday Feeling and rebuilding one of casual dining’s most iconic brands from the inside out.

Ray shares how he moved from the kitchen to the boardroom, left Fridays as president, led other major restaurant companies, and returned to a brand he never stopped caring about. He talks about the work behind the comeback, including leadership, franchisee alignment, technology upgrades, off-premise, social media, hospitality, and an 85% menu refresh built around food the team can be proud to serve.

The conversation also gets into the bigger Fridays story: potato skins, Jack Daniel’s ribs, bar flair, striped uniforms, big appetizers, mocktails, GLP-1 dining behavior, delivery, Olo, global growth, and the brand’s goal of reaching 1,000-plus restaurants and $2 billion in annual revenue by 2030.

From the original singles bar to a global casual dining brand, this episode is about restoring the energy, hospitality, and social connection that made TGI Fridays famous, while building a version of the brand for the next generation.

Episode Credits:

  • Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
  • Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy Frischling
  • Producer: Julie Zucker
  • Creative Director: Adam Levine
  • Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
  • Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com


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