13 TGI Fridays Targeted In Drink Scam Investigation

May 28th, 2013. By AbiK

Given news of late, Clifton, NJ may not be the best location to grab a burger and a drink. First, the Tick Tock Diner on Route 3 winds up with a manager being charged in a plot to torture, rob and kill the owner of the diner. Apparently, as NJ diners go, the Tick Tock is a far cry from Rosie’s Diner—Rosie’s was the NJ diner where the Bounty ‘quicker picker upper’ commercials from the ’70s & ’80s were filmed (though, Chelsea Clinton did do some campaign stomping at the Tick Tock in 2008 for her mom).

That gem was then followed by a Tick Tock Diner waitress filing sexual harassment charges against the same manager (somehow conjures up visions of that—groan—line, “got some fries with that shake?”, doesn’t it?)

And now, NorthJersey.com reports the Clifton TGI Fridays—literally a stone’s throw away from the Tick Tock Diner—is being investigated, along with 12 other TGI Fridays restaurants in NJ, for consumer fraud—specifically, switching out premium-brand liquor with non-premium brands in order to trick customers into paying more for their bar drinks.

According to the NJ State Division of Alcohol and Beverage Control (ABC), drink subbing costs consumers hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

TGI Fridays, to be fair, is not the only target of the ABC investigation in NJ. And to be fair, this was Ricky Richardson, president of Friday’s USA, statement in response to the investigation:

“We consider the alleged actions detailed by the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control to be very disturbing. If accurate, they would represent a violation of our company’s values and our extensive bar and beverage standards which are designed to deliver the highest guest experience in our restaurants.”

Richardson continued, “We have zero tolerance for actions that undermine the trust of our guests and call into question the reputation we have built up over the past 48 years.”

The list of establishments being investigated as part of “Operation Swill” includes Railroad Cafe (East Rutherford), The Brick House (Wyckoff), Sunset Tavern (Burlington), Graziano’s Ristorante (Chesilhurst), Brunswick Grove (East Brunswick), Villari’s Lakeside (Gloucester Township), Yesterdays (Marmora), Italian Affair (Glassboro), Bells Tavern (Lambertville), Murrays (Dover), Sona Thirteen (Morristown), Blackthorn Restaurant (Parsippany), Ruby Tuesday (Bridgewater), Cafe 34 (Matawan), Applebee’s (Kearny), and Cucina Calandara (Fairfield). The 13 TGI Fridays are in Clifton, East Windsor, Old Bridge, North Brunswick, East Hanover, Piscataway, Freehold, Marlboro, Hazlet, Linden, Hamilton, Springfield, and West Orange.

Sadly, this is not the first time we’re reporting on a NJ restaurant trying to pull the ol’ switcheroo on its drinking clientele. Remember Laguna Grill and Martini Bar?

And sadly, this time, switching out the top shelf booze for lesser quality booze is the least of anyone’s concerns…

Some of the targeted establishments have allegedly taken things to a new level. A NorthJersey.com report states that some of the samples taken from confiscated liquor bottles showed evidence of dirty water and rubbing alcohol. Cheers!

The ABC investigation has been going on a year and has included taking statements from employees and also reviewing sales and invoice records for about twenty liquor “brands of interest”. And, of course, samples have been taken—150 of them—using the True Spirit Authenticator (yes, such a thing apparently exists). According to the NJ Office of the Attorney General, of the 150 samples taken, 30 were not the brand they claimed to be. Twenty percent of top-shelf bottle samples isn’t exactly a low percentage.

The penalty for drink-subbing typically involves a liquor license suspension (and potentially a fine, as in the case of Laguna Grill and Martini Bar). Suspensions range in length depending on whether its a first-time violation or second or third—and keep in mind, a violation occurs when just one drink is poured; so multiple violations can be derived from just one bottle.

Tags: Consumer Fraud, Drink Subbing, NJ State Division of Alcohol and Beverage Control, TGI Fridays, Tick Tock Diner

This was posted on Tuesday, May 28th, 2013 at 9:44 pm and is filed under Consumer Fraud, Emerging Issues . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.