TGI Fridays, hot chicken in the U.K., Zaxbys
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June 23, 2026
TGI Fridays has a new-and-improved app. The move is part of the casual-dining brand’s ongoing transformation effort following the bankruptcy filing two years ago. Through the app, guests will be able to find restaurants, order for pickup, curbside or delivery, and manage their rewards. The 400-unit Fridays has set the goal of reaching 1,000 units by 2030.
The U.K. is getting more hot chicken. Houston TX Hot Chicken said Monday it has signed a master franchise agreement to open 50 restaurants in the U.K., which will be the fast-casual brand’s first international move. The master franchisee will be London-based PizzaExpress, which operates nearly 500 restaurants across the U.K. Houston TX Hot Chicken joins Dave’s Hot Chicken, which has opened 12 of 60 restaurants planned for the U.K., as well as Raising Cane’s and Chick-fil-A, which are also opening there.
Few combinations have stood the test of time like chicken bacon ranch and now Zaxbys is tapping into that demand, launching a lineup of three new menu items featuring the flavor profile. They include a chicken bacon ranch wrap meal, chicken bacon ranch quesadilla, and chicken bacon ranch loaded fries. Zaxbys is also bringing back its banana pudding milkshake for the summer. The chain’s signature milkshakes returned to the menu last year after a 7-year hiatus.
Get all the headlines in today’s Restaurant Daily podcast.
About the Authors
Leigh Anne Zinsmeister
Managing Editor
Leigh Anne Zinsmeister is a managing editor for Informa’s Foodservices Vertical, specifically Nation’s Restaurant News, Restaurant Hospitality, and Foodservice Director. Leigh Anne works on all of the brands’ special reports, including Nation’s Restaurant News’ annual Top 500 report and Restaurant Hospitality’s Best Cocktails and Best Sandwiches contests. She also manages the group’s digital engagement team, and was the managing editor for Supermarket News until December 2024.
Leigh Anne lives in New York City, but also claims Phoenix, Dallas and Cleveland as hometowns. Leigh Anne holds a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, where she also studied European history.
Email Leigh Anne at [email protected]
Leigh Anne Zinsmeister’s experience:
Group Managing Editor, Informa’s Foodservices Vertical (Aug. 2021-present)
Group Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (Feb. 2020-Aug. 2021)
Digital Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (April 2018-Feb. 2020)
Digital Content Producer, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (June 2016-April 2018)
Community Moderator, Mail Online (March 2014-June 2016)
Wire Editor, Gannett’s Phoenix Design studio (The Arizona Republic, The Reno Gazette-Journal, The Statesman Journal, The Great Falls Tribune, The Visalia Times-Delta, The Tulare Advance Register, The Salinas Californian, The St. George Spectrum, The Desert Sun, The Coloradoan) (Jan. 2012-March 2014)
Group Managing Editor, Informa’s Foodservices Vertical (Aug. 2021-present)
Group Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (Feb. 2020-Aug. 2021)
Digital Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (April 2018-Feb. 2020)
Digital Content Producer, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (June 2016-April 2018)
Community Moderator, Mail Online (March 2014-June 2016)
Wire Editor, Gannett’s Phoenix Design studio (The Arizona Republic, The Reno Gazette-Journal, The Statesman Journal, The Great Falls Tribune, The Visalia Times-Delta, The Tulare Advance Register, The Salinas Californian, The St. George Spectrum, The Desert Sun, The Coloradoan) (Jan. 2012-March 2014)
Lisa Jennings
Executive Editor, Restaurant Business
Lisa Jennings is a veteran restaurant industry reporter and editor who covers the fast-casual sector, independent restaurants and emerging chain concepts. Her experience includes other industry publications as well as the daily newspaper The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tenn., where she was Food Editor. Her work has been cited in the Los Angeles Times, Business Insider, FoodBeast, The Huffington Post, Time.com and more.
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Source: This story originated with Nation's Restaurant News.
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