FRIDAYS' Largest-Ever Menu Upgrade: 40 New Dishes Launched at Once

▲TGI FRIDAYS’ largest-ever menu upgrade introduces 40 new dishes in May, with another wave of new dishes coming by the end of June. (Photo: Grilled Pork Loin Club, NT$920)

Reported and photographed by Huang Shiyuan / Taipei

The Taiwanese American restaurant TGI FRIDAYS has been in Taiwan for 24 years. It was once the leading brand in the food and beverage industry, but in recent years, amid competition from both domestic and international brands—and with little to no changes to its menu in 11 years—TGI FRIDAYS had lost much of its former glory. After the Beixuan Catering Group took over as the Taiwan agent for TGI FRIDAYS, it decided to undertake a major transformation, launching the largest menu overhaul in TGI FRIDAYS Taiwan’s history. In May, over 40 brand-new dishes were introduced. Li Hongzhi, Managing Director of TGIFRIDAYS, hopes that TGI FRIDAYS can once again become a trendsetting brand.

Li Hongzhi worked at TGI FRIDAYS until 2003 and returned as Managing Director in 2014. He said that when he first took over, he went to the U.S. for training and discovered that the TGI FRIDAYS menu in America was already vastly different from Taiwan’s. American dining habits had changed significantly, but the Taiwan TGI FRIDAYS menu had remained largely unchanged for over 10 years. As a result, Li Hongzhi decided to bring back the essence of the old TGI FRIDAYS—an authentic American restaurant. He and the executive chef referred to the U.S. TGI FRIDAYS menu and the TGI FRIDAYS master recipe book to design the new menu. After more than 300 days of work, the new dishes were finally launched on May 12.


▲Friday Roast Half Chicken—limited to 10–15 pieces per store (NT$580).

Li Hongzhi stated that this new menu is based on the concept of "New American Authenticism," with a complete upgrade across appetizers, salads, main courses, and beverages. He said the current mainstream in American dining is cross-border fusion, rich layers, and handmade concepts—all of which will be reflected in the new menu. For example, TGI FRIDAYS will launch its own house-brewed craft beer (not purchased beer), which may be one of the few overseas locations, aside from those in the U.S., to do so.

Among the 40+ new dishes launched by TGI FRIDAYS,Li Hongzhi particularly recommends the New Orleans Red Tuna Crispy Flatbread, Parmesan Tomato Chicken Balls, Italian Tomato-Garlic Bread, Chicken Wings Triple Crown, Garlic Basil Breadsticks, Seagull Grilled Sirloin Steak Salad, Grilled Pork Loin Club, Friday Roast Half Chicken, and Iron Plate Cheese Chicken & Shrimp.。Among them, the Garlic Basil Breadsticks couldn’t be replicated by local bakeries in Taiwan in terms of taste and texture. Despite higher costs, Li Hongzhi decided to air-freight them from the U.S. to Taiwan to present the most authentic American flavors. Since handmade items are also a key focus of this menu upgrade, each breadstick involves a 12-hour marination process, is coated with specially made New Orleans rosemary butter to perfectly envelop the whole chicken, and is then brushed with an essence broth before being baked in the oven for 45 minutes. All are made by hand by store staff, which is why they are available in limited quantities—only 10–15 per store per day.

▲Seagull Grilled Sirloin Steak Salad (NT$550).

With over 40 new dishes launched at once, TGI FRIDAYS has redesigned over 80% of its menu. By June 23, additional new menu items including beverages, desserts, and steak dishes will be released, replacing the remaining 20% of the old menu. After June 23, TGI FRIDAYS will present an entirely new lineup. In addition, the new menu includes combo meals with mixed flavors, variety-focused combo platters, and a special vegetarian series menu with multiple salad options for health-conscious diners or vegetarians, bringing a shared dining experience full of joy and satisfaction.

Li Hongzhi also pointed out that this year, FRIDAYS is not only making significant changes to its menu but is also implementing a brand revitalization plan driven by the "Concept Shift" concept. The changes to the dishes are just the first step. Efforts will next focus on customer loyalty, ensuring consumers feel that FRIDAYS is a vibrant, passionate, and continuously improving brand in every way. The first step Li Hongzhi took was adjusting employee salaries, while also offering a 1% bonus on the sales revenue per table served by waitstaff, motivating them to improve their service. Additionally, the number of set meals has been reduced, encouraging servers to familiarize themselves with all menu items and return to the service attitude of the old FRIDAYS.


▲Chicken Wings Triple Crown (NT$490).


▲Garlic Basil Breadsticks air-freighted from the U.S. (NT$270).


▲Mocha Popsicles expected to be launched by the end of June.


▲Ribeye Steak and Grilled Lobster Tail Combo expected to be launched by the end of June.