TGI Fridays has named a new chief executive officer — just two months after promoting his predecessor to the same position.
“Weldon Spangler, a longtime TGI Fridays board member and highly experienced restaurant executive, has been appointed CEO of TGI Fridays, effective immediately,” the company said in a news release Wednesday. “He succeeds Brandon Coleman, who has resigned for personal reasons.”
Well-known casual bar and grill concept TGI Fridays is headquartered in Dallas. Owned by TriArtisan Advisors Capital of New York, TGI Fridays operates almost 700 restaurants around the world, including one along Belt Line Rd. in Dallas.
“This change in leadership marks a pivotal moment in TGI Fridays’ history. With Mr. Spangler at the helm, TGI Fridays is poised to put in place its new strategic plan for growth, innovation, and excellence.”
Two months ago, TGI Fridays named Coleman to the chief executive role after working as the company’s U.S. president and global chief marketing officer. At the time, he was charged with leading “the transformative new phase for (the) iconic bar and restaurant brand.”
That responsibility now falls to Spangler.
“Spangler brings extensive background in the restaurant industry and his impressive career spans over 30 years of experience, during which he has built a reputation for his unwavering focus on customer experience, store operations, and marketing with successful tenures at Subway, Papa Murphy’s, Dunkin’ Brands, and Starbucks,” according to the release.
The company’s website says TGI Fridays is “known for being the first happy hour place for singles to mingle.” Its original bar opened in Manhattan in 1965 and remains open.
“I thank … the board for their trust in me and look forward to working closely with the board on executing on our new growth-oriented business plan focused on revitalizing TGI Fridays,” Spangler said. “We are a well-loved brand around the world, which is a strong foundation on which to build our business and brand.”
