‘'Come and sit down, book a table: it's always Friday here'. This is the motto at TGI Fridays. The name of the restaurant stands for 'Thank Goodness It's Friday'.
The American-origin bar and grill restaurant chain first opened its Dutch outlet in February 2018, on the Stationsplein in Utrecht. But this won't remain the only branch in the Netherlands: in 10 years, TGI Fridays aims to open 15 restaurants.
TGI Fridays: fun met een American twist
Its casual dining concept characterises the American provider of burgers, steaks, ribs and cocktails. Robert Bitzberger, Operations Manager of TGI Fridays: "At TGI Fridays, people can enjoy casual dining, and experience is key. The food is freshly made, and customers are served promptly. At the same time, we feel that it is essential to maintain a high service level, even with reduced staff and on busier days."
TGI Fridays, therefore, focuses entirely on the welcoming and service to provide visitors with a complete customer experience. The waiters use a handheld to take the drink orders on arrival personally. Orders are efficiently recorded and processed through Tabletmenukaart.nl. It is the market leader in digital menus, aiming to improve guest satisfaction in restaurants and catering businesses.
Tabletmenukaart.nl creates a unique menu experience. With the digital menu, guests can order their dishes and drinks on their own. "That's TGI Fridays: fun! But high service and hospitality are also a part of our core values," says Robert. We want to serve our customers quickly at all times and have enough staff around. Unfortunately, personnel costs are high. Therefore Tabletmenukaart.nl is the perfect solution for us. The digital menu can keep staff costs low and the service level high.
Working in hospitality seems easy, but it requires a great deal of effort. A successful restaurant is more than the result of close teamwork, or the smooth delivery and transport of ordered dishes. Alex Dolstra, founder of Tabletmenukaart.nl, adds: ''These are essential parts of the total customer experience. The guest reception is usually fine, but things often go wrong with the second or third order."
According to Alex, the most crucial moment is between receiving the first order and wanting to place a second one. And that is where Tabletmenukaart.nl fills the gap. After visitors have had a warm welcome, Tabletmenukaart.nl ensures that guests can place an order at any given moment, even between orders. Alex adds: ''In doing so, we ensure that the TGI Fridays experience is fully maintained. We also help save on staff expenses and keep the service level high in your restaurant''