Dallas — Longtime restaurateur Jerry Comstock has joined TGI Fridays™ as president and chief operating officer. In addition, Stephanie Perdue has joined the team as chief marketing officer; she comes to TGI Fridays from Taco Bell.
Comstock has an extensive history as an owner and operator of restaurants, including 27 TGI Fridays. As former CEO of Strategic Restaurants Corporation, Comstock has made a career out of maximizing profits at the restaurant level with a keen focus on developing local leadership, emphasizing a commitment to operational excellence, and building a performance-driven culture.
“Jerry is a long-time veteran of the restaurant business, but even more importantly, he knows the Fridays business,” says John Antioco, chairman and CEO of TGI Fridays. “He spent years fine-tuning best practices for executing a superior guest experience at his restaurants. In addition, he has excellent long term relationships with Fridays’ franchisees, who now own and operate over 90% of our 470 U.S. locations.”
Comstock’s Strategic Restaurants also previously owned nearly 300 Burger King restaurants, and he has held leadership roles at Bennigan’s.
“Enhancing our operations and energizing our team members to make Fridays the best part of every guest’s day is my top priority,” says Comstock. “If any restaurant’s going to do that, it’s TGI Fridays.”
Perdue joins TGI Fridays from Taco Bell, where she most recently served as chief product marketing officer. While there, she led the team that designed and delivered the Doritos Locos Tacos (the chain’s most successful product of all time), in addition to introducing the breakfast daypart and several other successful value and new product platforms.
“TGI Fridays has a long history of creating firsts in the industry and I look forward to continuing that tradition by breaking the status quo,” says Perdue. “I am thrilled to help write the next chapter for Fridays as we reimagine the brand for both team members and guests.”
In 1965, Fridays opened its first location in New York City. Today, there are more than 900 restaurants in 60 countries. For more information, visit www.Fridays.com.
SOURCE: TGI Fridays