Quest for World Champion Bartender Heats Up

CARROLLTON, Texas, Nov. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Bartenders at Friday's® celebrate that Friday feeling with their guests each and every day, and this year's World Bartender Championship (WBC), is giving bartenders and guests alike even more reason to celebrate. WBC, which challenges 8,000 bartenders worldwide and culminates with the crowning of one, deemed the world's greatest, is toasting its 21st birthday this year! And, in honor of this milestone, Friday's is hosting special activities for guests and putting a few new twists on tap to make this the best WBC year yet.

"Our bartenders help thousands of guests a year celebrate their 21st birthday blowouts. So of course, the celebrations around Friday's 21st annual World Bartender Championship competitions will be larger than life," said Trey Hall, chief marketing offer of T.G.I. Friday's. "Twenty-one years of declaring the world's greatest bartender, and we're just getting started. This year we're introducing a new way to get in on the fun with interactive mixology nights. Come in and learn from the best and maybe next year, you'll be in the running!"

From Mixology Nights where guests will try their hand at the skill of bartending to the second annual Fan Favorite Bartender vote, fans will get in the game as much as the talented competitors to celebrate this milestone year. In addition, fans can watch the best of the best as top regional finalists from across the U.S. showcase their craft at divisional contests in Milwaukee (11/14); Plano, Texas (12/13); Woodbridge, N.J. (12/14); and West Palm Beach, Fla. (12/15). Winners from these competitions will meet with their global counterparts to compete on the final stage of the World Bartender Championship on February 26, 2012 in Dallas.  

Fans that turn out to watch the competition at these locations will enjoy the art of mixology in action and the extreme skills that make up the sport of bartending. In addition, the divisional contests raise funds for Feeding America®, the nation's largest domestic hunger relief program.

In total, the 2011 finals will feature nine competitors who have advanced through multiple rounds at local, regional and divisional levels.  Last year's winner, Attila Farmasi from Budapest, Hungary, will attend the competition to cheer on his fellow Friday's bartenders from around the globe vying to be crowned the world's greatest bartender.

"This competition is our official tribute to the world-class bartenders stirring up the Friday's feeling in our restaurants every day of the week," adds Trey Hall.

For more information on the World Bartender Championships and updates from Friday's, consumers can follow the brand on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/TGIFridays), Twitter @TGIFridays and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/TGIFridays).

About T.G.I. Friday's

T.G.I. Friday's offers a unique, casual experience delivering on its brand promise of "In Here it's ALWAYS Friday" melding authentic and imaginative American food, exciting and innovative drinks and a one of a kind service experience to provide liberation from the everyday -- turning any day into a FRIDAY! It is also famous for its knowledgeable and charismatic bartenders, nearly 8,000 of whom compete annually for the title of the "Greatest T.G.I. Friday's Bartender in the World." As the original casual dining restaurant, Friday's delights guests in more than 900 restaurants across more than 60 countries around the globe. For more information, visit www.fridays.com.

About Feeding America

Feeding America, the Friday's brand charity of choice, feeds America's hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks who supply food to more than 37 million people each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors.

SOURCE T.G.I. Friday's