TGI Friday's Puts American Image to Work

This all-American looking TGI Friday's restaurant could be anywhere--but it's actually in downtown Riga, where I visited a couple of weeks ago.

Dining outside is a summer tradition in the Baltic, and TGI Friday's has its fresh-air area ready for tourists and locals alike.

According to the Web site, the chain has 2 outlets in Latvia, 2 in Russia, 2 in Great Britain, 1 in Ireland, 5 in Spain, and so on. It's looking for international franchisees in Southeast Asia, Europe, Canada, and South Africa. Its Philippines franchise outlets are doing well, thanks to generous portions.

Suddenly TGI Friday's is back on the radar: In the new movie Zookeeper, a gorilla asks: "Is TGI Friday's as incredible as it looks?" This product placement cost the company nothing and stands to gain it a lot of exposure to new audiences. Leveraging this opportunity, TGI Friday's has a link from its home page to the Zookeeper site.

Also watch for TGI Friday's in the supermarket freezer section, where its snacks and entrees (made under license by Heinz) are ready to heat and serve.