DALLAS, April 11, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Americans are busier than ever, and that extends to lunch breaks.  According to a recent study commissioned by TGI Fridays^SM, the majority of U.S. workers suffer from "FOLO" – otherwise known as a "Fear of Lunching Out." This soul-crushing syndrome can leave employees feeling unproductive and void of creativity. Recognizing this, Fridays is introducing a break-worthy new lunch menu and quick mobile pay options, inspiring America to Make Lunch Count again.

The data supporting "dining al desko" is staggering. Seventy-three percent of Americans eat lunch at their desks at least twice a week, with one-third eating at their desk every day. Talk about a #sadlunch.  

"With the 24/7 connectivity today in corporate America, somehow the lunch hour has been left behind.  Fridays has always been a place where co-workers can connect, socialize and decompress over great food and drinks," said Brian Gies, Chief Marketing Officer at TGI Fridays. "We want to remind people that taking this time to recharge is important. Since our study showed that cost and convenience are a couple of the top causes of FOLO, we've designed the new midday menu to be fresh and great-tasting, as well as fast and easy, with new mobile pay and our 'On the Double' lunch pairings."

America's Most "Lunching Out" Deprived Cities

This quest to save lunch must be taken on, city by city and town by town. Focusing on the places that have the highest lunching out deficit, Fridays has declared them as most prone to FOLO and therefore in need of a quickie (lunch, that is).

1. Baltimore, Md.
2. Orlando, Fla.
3. Columbus, Ohio
4. Sacramento, Calif.
5. Salt Lake City, Utah
6. Phoenix, Ariz.
7. Washington – Arlington – D.C.
8. San Francisco, Calif.
9. Hartford, Conn.
10. New York City, N.Y.

National Make Lunch Count Day: Wednesday, April 13

Fridays is starting a lunch movement and has declared April 13^th as National Make Lunch Count Day to remind Americans to get away from desks, boost their productivity and creativity, and have some fun in the process. Workers are encouraged to share their lunch break using #NationalMakeLunchCountDay. Fridays will award hundreds of these FOLO-defectors with free lunch for two at Fridays in the form of a $25 electronic gift card.

New Fridays Lunch Menu Gets Some Tasty and Refreshing Additions

Available in participating restaurants and featuring handcrafted new sandwiches, fresh smoothies, slushes and juices:

• Truffle Stacked Burger – A blend of four cheeses with truffle oil, onion-bacon jam and Asiago between two fresh burgers with truffle aioli and applewood-smoked bacon.
• Mediterranean Mahi Mahi Naan' Wich – Grilled Mahi Mahi drizzled with balsamic glaze on naan bread with cucumber yogurt sauce, balsamic-glazed onions, garlic, basil & Roma tomato bruschetta and mixed greens with kale
• California Chicken Club – All-natural chicken breast grilled, chilled and sliced on a freshly baked toasted baguette with bacon, smoked Gouda cheese, freshly chopped romaine, tomatoes, avocado and yogurt aioli
• Green with Passion Smoothie – Mango and passion fruit purées, fresh agave sour and fresh kale
• Poppin' Boba– Zico Coconut Water, organic agave, lime juice, lemon juice, with bursting Strawberry and/or Mango Boba pearls
• Cherry Limeade Slush – Lemonade, maraschino cherries, fresh agave sour served over slush ice
• Paradise Punch – Freshly squeezed orange juice, pineapple juice, and guava puree
• Tickled Pink– Freshly Squeezed Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice, guava puree, and soda water
• VitaminWater XXX® – Açai-blueberry-pomegranate nutrient enhanced bottle water.

Fridays now offers "On the Double" Lunch Pairing options featuring the choice of one appetizer, such as a Turkey Kale Soup or Caesar Salad, paired with entrées worthy of a trip down the escalator, including the Italian Pretzel Grinder, Chipotle Yucatan Chicken Salad and Jack Sliders, all priced at $6.99 to $8.99 depending on the menu option. 

In addition to the fresh new lunch menu, the Fridays website and mobile app had a recent refresh with a new look, feel and enhanced functionality. The new version of the app is completely redesigned, and now supports mobile payments at select locations with a "Pay the Check" functionality, allowing guests to pay their bill through the app. It also includes a Restaurant Locator, the "Give Me More Stripes" Rewards Program and a Menu Tab.

About Most FOLO Cities
To find the metropolitan areas in the United States least and most prone to eating lunch out during the work week Sperling's Best Places performed a 'meta-analysis' which combines the findings of original research and existing data. The proprietary data analysis is combined with an online poll conducted for this study which produced new data regarding people's lunch habits while at work. In addition to this poll, Sperling's Best Places measured factors which are directly or indirectly indicative of eating lunch out while at work. These criteria include urban density, climate, stress index, restaurants per capita, commute mode, and hours worked per week.

About TGI Fridays
In 1965, Fridays opened its first location in New York City. Today, there are over 900 restaurants in 60 countries which offer high quality, authentic American food and legendary drinks, served with genuine personal service. Bringing people together to socialize and celebrate the freeing and liberating spirit of "Friday" is the concept's founding premise, from which the brand promise "In Here, It's Always Friday^®" was born. For more information, visit www.fridays.com or follow us on Twitter at @TGIFridays.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Mary Ann Schoppman, Zeno Group, 212-299-3975, MaryAnn.Schoppman@ZenoGroup.com

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160411/353512-INFO

SOURCE TGI Fridays

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