You will soon be able to add booze to your TGI Fridays’ delivery order
By Sarah Whitten
September 21, 2017
You will soon be able to add booze to your TGI Fridays’ delivery order
TGI Fridays is doing something that no other chain restaurant has done before — delivering booze.
The casual dining restaurant said Thursday that it has partnered with Lash, a third-party delivery service, and is testing alcohol delivery alongside its food delivery in Texas this holiday season.
Starting in November, diners who use the restaurant’s mobile app will be able to select beer, wine and other liquors from the menu and have them delivered to their door with their meal. A Lash driver will pick up the bottles of alcohol from a local liquor store partner, pick up the food from Fridays, then take it to the customer.
Diners will also be able to purchase a box called “Everything But the Booze,” a container that holds a pouch of mixer, garnishes, two holiday-themed glasses and a shaker. The company has yet to set the price for the package, but customers can purchase the pouch of mixer separately for $5.
In addition, parents won’t need to worry about teenagers purchasing alcohol from the app. Lash drivers will check IDs, and will not deliver alcohol to those that appear intoxicated.
The decision to add this feature comes as TGI Fridays looks to distinguish itself from its competitors. The restaurant industry is highly saturated and restaurants across the board are looking for ways to lure in customers. While many restaurants have turned to delivery as a way to boost sales, offering alcohol could help set TGI Fridays apart.
The company said that since it launched online ordering last summer it has seen takeout sales jump 30 percent. Delivery is an enticing segment for restaurants, because these orders often have higher checks than ones placed in-restaurant.
For TGI Fridays, the average online check is 7.2 percent higher than that of an order placed within the restaurant.
One drawback is that many restaurants must charge higher delivery fees when using third-party services. TGI Fridays told CNBC that the company is still finalizing how much it will charge guests for delivery. It is working with Lash to determine if it will offer a flat delivery fee, or base the charge on distance or order total.
If the alcohol delivery test is successful in the Dallas Fort Worth and Houston area, TGI Fridays said that it intends to roll it out nationwide in 2018.