T.G.I. Friday’s parent to double chain over five years

Minneapolis -- Carlson Restaurants, parent of T.G.I. Friday’s, announced at a conference in Dallas last week that it plans to double the number of units globally under a program it is calling Ambition 2015.



"With the strength of our Friday's brand, our management team and our franchise partners, we are uniquely positioned to dramatically increase the footprint of our business," said Nick Shepherd, president and CEO of Carlson Restaurants.



Shepherd unveiled the company's strategic plan, Ambition 2015, to a gathering of franchisees, employees and vendor partners that outlined growth over the next five years, doubling the footprint of the T.G.I. Friday's brand around the world.



The company said that, for 2010, Friday's outpaced the casual dining market in the United States by 1.6% as measured by Knapp Track. It currently operates more than 350 restaurants in 60 countries outside of the United States.