TGI Friday's to recruit more staff - graduate jobs

Graduates looking for jobs in the food retail industry may find opportunities with TGI Friday's, which is expecting to take on up to 2,000 new staff over the next five years.

It comes after the restaurant chain's British partner was bought out by hospitality group Carlson who promised to expand the business in the UK.

The group said it would be looking to open new outlets in high-traffic, high-profile locations around the UK with the first two planned for Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield and the 02 centre in London in October.

Carlson bought up the 60% stake of the UK arm it did not previously own from private equity group AAC Capital Partners. It already operates TGI in the US and around the globe.

The deal valued TGI Friday's UK at around £60 million, according to AAC.

Carlson said it is investing 100 million US dollars (£63.9 million) in the UK business - financing the stake purchase and fuelling plans to add another 16 restaurants to its 46-strong network by 2015.

It is also working to expand its wider global TGI businesses, with overall aims to add at least 160 restaurants worldwide to nearly 1,100 within the next five years.

Nick Shepherd, president and chief executive officer of Carlson Restaurants, said: "We believe in the strength of the TGI Friday's brand, and are enthusiastic about our initiative to grow in the UK and in other key, global markets."