Leadership Problems Led To TGI Friday's Incident, Selectmen Say

DEDHAM, MA — The selectmen believe there are some big problems at the TFI Friday's on Providence Highway, and they go beyond the staff running the building.

The board said during a liquor license violation last Thursday that they wanted to hear from someone higher up about what they feel are managerial issues that became clear during a March 9 incident. According to a police report, a woman at the restaurant had several drinks and was acting in an inappropriate manner. When she fell off her barstool, she was asked to leave. When it happened a second time, she was again asked to leave and said someone was coming to pick her up. When it became apparent that no one was coming, an employee called 911.

Restaurant officials admitted that it was not the right call to wait for the non-existent ride to show up and future protocol has been discussed with the staff. For the board, it was a consequence of not having the right leadership in place, including having a kitchen manager responsible for the restaurant that night.

"As someone who grew up in the restaurant business, there's a huge difference between a kitchen manager and bar manager. There's a huge difference between a kitchen manager and a floor manager. There are different duties you have and I think to put that on a kitchen manager is not fair," Selectman Brendan Keogh said.

Selectman Michael Butler went further, pointing out the lack of response from the staff.

"A customer put her head down at the point of sale terminal, no response from the bartender. We saw the customer put two feet up on the bar and there was no response from the bartender. It was right there," Butler said.

Currently, the restaurant has a manager that will serve in that position until a new long term manager is able to start. The restaurant, however, has not been in front of the board recently to apply for any change of manager requests.

"My sense from reading the reports is after that change, things started to go off track. TGI Friday's has been in Dedham for years and their record was spotless," Butler said.

While the local staff took the brunt of the criticism from the selectmen, board members admitted that their issue was not with them but with the corporate office.

"You're trying to clean up this mess, we think it was created by people prior to you. I don't think corporate hears our concerns," Selectman Dennis Guilfoyle said.

The hearing was continued to a future meeting with the expectation that someone from TGI Friday's corporate office will appear.

Image via Google Maps