Karen Forrester, chief executive for T.G.I. Friday’s UK, said: “This is the dawn of a very exciting new phase for Friday’s.
“We have been looking for the right location to launch our new concept for some time and Manchester Piccadilly is the perfect place for us with its high footfall and dwell times.
“Whether guests are looking for a quick coffee or a succulent sandwich we’ll have lots of options for anyone passing through the station.”
She said the restaurant would serve the ‘fresh and flavourful food’ for which Friday’s is famous within a restaurant environment tailored to the needs of the busy traveller.
Power points, Wi-Fi, and individual seating will all be available in the Friday’s Fast Track.
The move into fast-paced, high-footfall transport hubs is part of her vision to double the number of Friday’s in the UK to 120 by 2020, with around eight openings a year planned.
She added: “Manchester Piccadilly provides the perfect location for Friday’s with a footfall of 24 million passengers per year, an average user age below 40, and an average passenger dwell time of nearly half an hour.”
Located within the Upper Concourse of the station, an open-plan kitchen will offer guests walking past the restaurant a glimpse of Friday’s food as it is cooked, including the new handcrafted burger range and classic American-inspired breakfasts with a Friday’s twist –
including waffles, maple bacon and Jack Daniel’s-candied sausages.
The food has been designed by Friday’s award-winning development chef Terry McDowell to ensure that all main meals can be delivered to guests within 10 minutes of order through clever innovations.
The restaurant will create 40 jobs locally and will be able to serve 135 diners at any one time. It will include a rustic colour scheme and memorabilia inspired by travel, with a particular nod to the most famous train station in the world – Grand Central Station.