Ain't dere no more (2 Viewers)

[zatsnzapps]

So you and Zeetes remember the three story wooden phone booth? That wasnt just a figment of my overactive imagination?

It was there - at the right corner of the bar (if you're looking at the bar from the front door). It was a common fixture at many of the Friday's restaurants at the time. I worked at several of them - some traveling and another one that I transferred to.

The three levels were the two dining levels and the bar level. The bar was slightly raised to be between the upper and lower dining levels, so one door on each level comprised the three levels for the phone booth.

 

[zatsnzapps]

ETA I’m confused are Zats and Zeetes talking about Fridays or Houstons? I remember the dip and sq pagers being a Houston’s thing

Friday's had spinach dip, too - eventually. I was working there (at another one) when they introduced it. In fact, they still sell it in the frozen section at grocery stores.

 

[zeetes]

So you and Zeetes remember the three story wooden phone booth? That wasnt just a figment of my overactive imagination?


ETA I’m confused are Zats and Zeetes talking about Fridays or Houstons? I remember the dip and sq pagers being a Houston’s thing

spin dip and pagers @ houston's, worked at friday's.

and yes to the phone

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

It was there - at the right corner of the bar (if you're looking at the bar from the front door). It was a common fixture at many of the Friday's restaurants at the time. I worked at several of them - some traveling and another one that I transferred to.

The three levels were the two dining levels and the bar level. The bar was slightly raised to be between the upper and lower dining levels, so one door on each level comprised the three levels for the phone booth.

Thanks.. it’s funny some of the things that fascinate you as a kid.


Also, when exactly did it go from being called “Friday’s” to “TGI Fridays”? I always remember seeing the tiny “tgi “ on the sign, but it seems like all of a sudden everyone started calling it by the full name.. and i know that location doesnt exist anymore- is there another one in Metairie somewhere ? Is the FQ one still there on Royal(?) i believe?

 

[sfidc3]

What always blew my everloving mind is how locals, yes local New Orleanians and Metairians would line up for hours on Friday nights to eat at a friggin Houston’s.. the one on Veterans especially, but there is/was one on St Charles Ave too.. it’s a huge national corporate chain.. They had a spinach artchoke dip that, kinda like the biscuits at Red Lobster, people went crazy over.. but it still made no sense to me.

Because Houston's (IMO) had legit good food, their burgers, salads and particularly Chicken and friends (kind of like a chicken cordon bleu) and their shoe string fries were awesome. They had one here in Rockville MD for years as well and same quality as the one back home...

Also i am old enough to remember when TGI Fridays was just called Fridays and was pretty good despite being a huge chain.. In the NOLA area it was located near where the Black and Gold Sports shop is now, and as a kid it was cool cause there were three floors connected by an old-time wooden huge phone booth... Does anyone else remember this? Also they had killer potato skins.

Yes, the food there was actually good. I remember going there with my folks when I was but a wee lad. The jumbo fried shrimp with cherry mustard dipping sauce was usually my choice....

 

[GrandAdmiral]

not to get off on a tangent, but while we are all here talking about seafood, can someone explain to me how Long John Silvers on Vets has stayed open for the last eon?

The one where I live lasted six months max and never reopened.

 

[zatsnzapps]

Also, when exactly did it go from being called “Friday’s” to “TGI Fridays”? I always remember seeing the tiny “tgi “ on the sign, but it seems like all of a sudden everyone started calling it by the full name

With a quick google search, it looks like they went to the new design in 2013.

is there another one in Metairie somewhere ? Is the FQ one still there on Royal(?)

It looks like there's one on Vets near where the old one was located. I don't think the one in FQ is still there.

I was working at the Friday's in Metairie at the time the one in the Quarter was opened. Interestingly, the reason that it was opened was because a franchisee bought the restaurant in Metairie from Corporate, along with territorial rights for all or part of Louisiana. As part of the deal, the franchisee had to open 3 new restaurants within a few years (I forget the actual number), and the one in the FQ was the first one.

 

[buzd]

It looks like there's one on Vets near where the old one was located. I don't think the one in FQ is still there.

It's on the other side of Causeway from the old one, directly across from Lakeside, and roughly where Lakeside Theaters were, years ago. It was some Mexican place before that (some chain, known for their tortillas, which wasn't terrible). I haven't been to the TGIF incarnation.

 

[zatsnzapps]

It's on the other side of Causeway from the old one, directly across from Lakeside, and roughly where Lakeside Theaters were, years ago. It was some Mexican place before that (some chain, known for their tortillas, which wasn't terrible). I haven't been to the TGIF incarnation.

Ok, I think I know exactly where you're talking about. I can remember the Mexican place - it was a chain, but not a huge one. If it's the one I'm thinking of, it was a little closer to Causeway than Lakeside Theaters. I think Lakeside Theaters were between Edenborn and N. Arnoult.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

thank you for subscribing to corporate restaurant talk

 

[zatsnzapps]

thank you for subscribing to corporate restaurant talk

Don't forget about our guest star ADNM movie theaters.

 

[buzd]

Ok, I think I know exactly where you're talking about. I can remember the Mexican place - it was a chain, but not a huge one. If it's the one I'm thinking of, it was a little closer to Causeway than Lakeside Theaters. I think Lakeside Theaters were between Edenborn and N. Arnoult.

I didn't realize they were that far down, but could be. It's been a while.

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

With a quick google search, it looks like they went to the new design in 2013.

i know how to use google.. i was looking for some insider info.



It was def way before 2013 that people stopped calling it Fridays, and started saying “TGI Fridays”.. if i had to guess, it was sometime in the late 90s or early 2000s.. just thought maybe you were working there when perhaps there was some corporate initiative for yall to start saying the full name.. actually, my guess would be that once their national commercials started airing frequently with the “TGI” name, people just followed like lemmings. I don’t remember the place ever being nationally advertised in the 70s and 80s.. . maybe calling it “Fridays” was a NOLA thing, and the rest of the country has always used the TGI.

 

[zatsnzapps]

I didn't realize they were that far down, but could be. It's been a while.

Yeah, that's one of my old stomping grounds.

I used to live right behind what is now the Mercedes (was Nissan at the time) dealership, and the Theaters were just a block or so off Division (on the other side of Vets, obviously).

 

[zatsnzapps]

i know how to use google.. i was looking for some insider info.



It was def way before 2013 that people stopped calling it Fridays, and started saying “TGI Fridays”.. if i had to guess, it was sometime in the late 90s or early 2000s.. just thought maybe you were working there when perhaps there was some corporate initiative for yall to start saying the full name.. actually, my guess would be that once their national commercials started airing frequently with the “TGI” name, people just followed like lemmings. I don’t remember the place ever being nationally advertised in the 70s and 80s.. . maybe calling it “Fridays” was a NOLA thing, and the rest of the country has always used the TGI.

I was gone from Friday's in '97 (worked there several years), so I wasn't around for all the changes they've made in the last few decades, but there wasn't anything from corporate about branding that I recall.