Here I am again with another team pick which I’m tempted to introduce by explaining my bizarre attraction to completely random types of information. This time, it’s an interview with Alan Stillman, the guy who invented TGI Fridays because there was no place for single men and women to go and meet each other and drink. The interview is called A Cocktail Party in the Street.
Did you know they like invented the concept of those bar/grill type restaurants? I did not! They invented the waiting list, or something. This guy sold his 15 eventual stores for a million bucks in 1971 and then it became this other thing, and spawned imitators.
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Riese is the 40-year-old Co-Founder and CEO of Autostraddle.com as well as an award-winning writer, video-maker, LGBTQ+ Marketing consultant and aspiring cyber-performance artist who grew up in Michigan, lost her mind in New York and now lives in California. Her work has appeared in nine books including "The Bigger the Better The Tighter The Sweater: 21 Funny Women on Beauty, Body Image & Other Hazards Of Being Female," magazines including Marie Claire and Curve, and all over the web including Nylon, Queerty, Nerve, Bitch, Emily Books and Jezebel. She had a very popular personal blog once upon a time, and then she recapped The L Word, and then she had the idea to make this place, and now here we all are! In 2016, she was nominated for a GLAAD Award for Outstanding Digital Journalism. Follow her on twitter and instagram.
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Riese, I think you have a thing for chain restaurants. That’s what I’m picking up here.
next stop: outback steakhouse
There are Outback Steakhouses in Australia, which never fails to crack my shit up.
They do a nice aubergine burger.
Alan Stillman sounds like a pretty cool guy. To bad his idea has turned into something I am loath to go to.
i’ve never ever been here. i feel like maybe i’m missing out on something, but then again, not really.
Manymanymany years ago I met a girlfriend at one, the waitress sat down in our booth and chatted like it was some type of speed dating/dining. She was very bubbly and would not stop talking/asking questions, (including our menu choices). Literally had to ask her to leave and had a good laugh about about which of us she was hitting on.
Upon leaving, my friend asked –her red-faced reply was that management had implemented a ‘friendly experience’ for customers and she was forced to do so and ask those questions at every table. We tipped well and left quickly. Awkward.
now i have to go. probably.
I was procrastinating and read the whole interview. This whole time I saw TGI Fridays as just another crappy corporate chain that decided throwing random shit all over the walls made restaurants seem fun and cool. An interesting back story, to be sure. But if I had to pick from all the chain bar/grill places, Chili’s is No. 1.
Chili’s back story isn’t No. 1. I don’t know their back story. I just like their food the best, was what I meant. Mmm, black bean patty burgers. Endless chips and salsa and margaritas. Mmmmm.
one time in high school i was so high that i puked in a TGI Friday’s parking lot (we inexplicably hung out there a lot). that is all.
This comment reminded me of my earliest drinking days. Somehow i feel wise and experienced in the drinking arts at the age of 21.
Are You Experienced?
i once cried in an ihop.
about what
how bad the food was
Once, I was dragged to an iHop with my straight best friend, whom I was crushing on severely, and her steady boyfriend at the time. They proceeded to order me waffles and fuck in the public bathroom.
Yeah, I don’t dig iHop in the least.
(Yes, waffles at iHop. I thought it was strange, too.)
(why the fuck did I spell it like an apple product?)
This made me laugh. I think maybe that’s why you did it.
I vaguely remember having clown icecream sundaes at TGI Fridays with my dad when I was a very very little girl, before he lost interest in being a father and moved on. That’s the only association I have with TGI Fridays.
Aren’t the clown sundaes a staple of Friendly’s? I don’t recall them ever being at TGI Fridays. Friendly’s peanut butter sauce is amazing, FYI.
That is the saddest comment I’ve ever seen. I kind of want to hug you right now.
that was friendly’s and i love you too and it’s my favorite sundae and i still sometimes crave it, if you want i’ll send you a giftcard.
I work at Friday’s :)
are you hot, if so, which Friday’s
Lecher
Obvs, Hot 100 last year! Haha :) Dublin, Ireland.