It appeared TGI Fridays was gearing the Flair part of their competitions and forcing the competitors to do more Working Flair. After reading the rules myself, I was at first pleasantly surprised. At first, most of the competitors were put off by this and upset they didn’t have enough time to adjust to the new set of rules and scoring before their store deadline to hold the competition. I noticed not to long ago, a big change in their overall scoring for their Flair part of their competitions. So I ask… what happened? I whole heartily support Flair and have helped out with some of the South Florida TGI Fridays Flair competitions for many years now. ![]() I can still hear the chants of “Roooooobbbbbb Foooooorrrrrddddd!!!!!” from the cheering fans in anticipation of their favorite bartender competing. The place was packed and the energy was incredible. Their old emphasis on Flair and their Flair bartending competitions was unmatched by any other major restaurant chain… every time they had an in-store Flair competition you would be lucky enough to grab a seat if they weren’t already sold out for a local charity. I mean, just the sheer volume of Flair bartenders it has pumped out and bartenders with better skills then when they walked in is amazing. There is no argument that TGI Fridays has done a lot of good in the past. Many of today’s professionals and brand ambassadors have had the honor of wearing their stripes, suspenders and (15) pins of Flair in the past. Most of them would agree that TGI Fridays was a great source of learning compared to most major restaurant chains. There are some great names in the list above and it shows you a glimpse of some very talented individuals that came through TGI Fridays’s hallowed halls. TGI Fridays World Bartender Championship Past Winners: Below is the list of winners from then to now… Then in 1991, TGI Fridays started its global competition called “World Bartender Championship” which still exists today. Press “Play” above to watch the clips of the Flair training video “Olympic Bartending”. ![]() Then in 1987, TGI Fridays held there world championships were John J.B. Bandy produced the first ever Flairtending video… “Olympic Bartending”. Eventually, John Mescall made a couple of “how-to” videos for TGI Fridays and later with the help of John J.B. It is said that Mescall was a bit hesitant, because other Fridays bartenders saw his art more of a nuisance when they were forced by management to Flair as well. The first is said to be John Mescall and his talent for “juggling bottles while pouring drinks” caught the attention of management and the decision came about to hold an in-store competition, which they later took national. From a small handful to literally thousands of bartenders across the globe have been involved in these store competitions. "One of my main aims is to get people to see hospitality as a career, not simply something to do while looking for one," he says.I pose the question… is the global chain TGI Fridays hurting or helping Flair? The earliest know competition for Flair bartending was held by TGI Fridays in Marina del Rey, California around 1985 and its has only grown bigger and better over the years. George, who works 50 hours a week, admits the hospitality industry is hard work, with unsocial hours, but believes it is his job to create a good working environment and give people recognition. ![]() George hopes his next step will be towards a directorship position, which will be helped by the MBA in business studies he is currently studying for. Now in Fulham, George is still enthused by the TGI Friday's brand, and lives by his three principles: people, productivity and passion. This year George was nominated for Whitbread's Award for Passion - something it is clear he has plenty of. George returned south in 2004 to work as general manager of TGI's biggest UK restaurant, in Haymarket, London, where he helped make a tidy £7m in sales. ![]() In 2003 he won TGI's General Manager of the Year award for his success in turning around the then-failing Glasgow restaurant. When he returned to the UK, George worked in London as a quality service manager, then an assistant general manager, before taking charge of the TGIs in Aberdeen and Glasgow. Having progressed through the ranks, George, 31, is now at the helm of the 230-seat restaurant in south-west London.Īfter working as both a butcher and a baker, but not a candlestick maker, George started behind the bar of the Manchester restaurant, where he received in-house training, before moving to the USA in 1996 to work in TGI Friday's restaurants in Pennsylvania and California for two years. Opening a new TGI Friday's restaurant in Fulham is a far cry from Chris George's first job with the company, as a bartender in 1992.
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