TGI Fridays Names Weldon Spangler CEO

TGI Fridays (Dallas) has named longtime board member Weldon Spangler CEO, effective immediately. He succeeds Brandon Coleman III, who resigned the post for personal reasons after just two months.

This change in leadership comes at a pivotal moment for the casual bar-and-grill brand, the company says, with Spangler charged with executing its strategic plan for growth, innovation and excellence.

Rohit Manocha, Co-Founder of TriArtisan Capital, the controlling shareholder of TGI Fridays, will continue to collaborate with Spangler in his role as chairman.

Said Spangler in a news release: “I thank Rohit and the board for their trust in me and look forward to working closely with the board on executing on our new growth-oriented business plan focused on revitalizing TGI Fridays. We are a well-loved brand around the world, which is a strong foundation on which to build our business and brand.”

Spangler has 30-plus years of experience in the restaurant industry, including stints at Subway, Papa Murphy’s, Dunkin’ Brands and Starbucks. The business he now oversees has
almost 700 restaurants in 51 countries.