Carlson Restaurants Worldwide - Introduction

Introduction

4201 Marsh Lane
Carrollton, Texas 75007
U.S.A.
Telephone: (972) 662-5400
Toll Free: (800) 374-3297
Fax: (972) 307-2822
Web site: http://www.fridays.com

Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Carlson Companies, Inc.
Founded: 1965
Employees: 20,000
Sales: $2.4 billion (2004 est.)
NAIC: 722110 Full-Service Restaurants; 533110 Owners and Lessors of Other Non-Financial Assets

Carlson Restaurants Worldwide boasts a roster of 820 restaurants in 55 countries, with annual sales exceeding $2 billion. It is one of the largest international restaurant chains. With headquarters in Texas, the company is a private subsidiary of the Carlson Hospitality Worldwide division of Minnesota-based conglomerate Carlson Companies, Inc., a global leader in the fields of hospitality, travel, and marketing. The company's three restaurant divisions are T.G.I. Friday's U.S.A., T.G.I. Friday's International, and Pick Up Stix. The principal brand is T.G.I. Friday's casual dining restaurants, with both company-owned and franchised stores. Friday's restaurants have a 21- to 49-year-old guest base, and offer a wide selection of appetizers, entrées, salads, and pasta dishes in a vibrant barlike atmosphere. The Friday's restaurant concept has also evolved to include Friday's Front Row Sports Grill and Friday's American Bar.

The company's inception was in 1965 when Alan Stillman opened the first T.G.I. Friday's restaurant in New York City. The Friday's brand has grown steadily as company leaders have worked to maintain the original energy and innovation upon which it was founded. It was one of the first American restaurant chains to penetrate the European market. The company acquired Pick Up Stix, a "fast-casual" chain of Chinese restaurants, in 2001, providing another avenue for corporate growth.