TGI Fridays is one of the first companies involved in a new scheme which will allow customers to ride to and from the restaurant with Uber for free.
The scheme, called Uber Vouchers, was launched in April, and will see TGI Fridays picking up the tab for customers within a set distance of the restaurant in a bid to encourage foot traffic.
Sherif Mityas, TGI Fridays' chief experience officer, told Nation Restaurant News in an interview that the scheme is a win/win for both the casual dining brand and the ride-sharing company.
Uber had nearly 42 million global users in 2018, with the U.S. being its biggest market. By offloading a chunk of its marketing to Uber, TGI Fridays is hoping to attract more customers. In return, Uber will get more rides.
The scheme is also designed to attract customers looking to drink alcohol with their meals, as their ride home will be taken care of as part of their dining experience.
"If there's another opportunity for us to acquire traffic, we want to take advantage of that," Mityas said in the interview. Currently, the scheme is on trial in around 40 or 50 restaurants, primarily on the East Coast. TGI Fridays will assess the results of this test period before deciding whether or not to roll the scheme out nationwide.
