Sugarloaf TGIF Management, LLC, the manager of the global TGI Fridays brand, has extended franchise development and master franchise agreements with longtime partners Franquicias Alimentarias S.A. and Watami Co., Ltd., to expand the chain’s presence in Peru and Japan. The agreements call for the development of more than 50 new restaurants, part of the company’s goal to operate 1,000 locations worldwide.
TGI Fridays, which operates in nearly 40 countries, has recently opened a new location at Real Plaza Primavera in Lima, Peru, bringing its total there to 20 units, and a restaurant in Yokohama, Japan.
Across both markets, the brand now operates more than 30 restaurants. Franquicias Alimentarias plans to grow from 20 to 30 locations in Peru, while Watami aims to expand the brand across Japan under a newly extended agreement.
In Japan, TGI Fridays is testing smaller-format stores designed for high-density urban centers, where space constraints and rent costs require operational flexibility. These units aim to preserve the brand’s bar-forward model while optimizing kitchen layout and seating capacity. Recent examples include a 150-square-meter location in Yokohama seating more than 70 guests, a 100-square-meter site at Mariscal Sucre Airport in Ecuador, and a 14-square-meter container restaurant in Dubai.
The brand’s global strategy focuses on flexible store formats, occasion-driven dining, and franchise-led expansion. With renewed commitments from its partners in Peru and Japan, TGI Fridays plans to accelerate international development as part of its broader growth strategy.
