Why TGI Fridays Will Be Flying a Drone Around This Holiday Season

TGI Fridays is looking to spice up the holiday season, but not with extra stuffed jalapeños. Instead, the popular restaurant chain is introducing mistletoe-dangling drones — yes, drones — in the hope of sparking some more holiday magic.

Image source: YouTube

“We’re known for legendary celebrations at Fridays, so we wanted to see how we could make Christmas get-togethers in our restaurants even more entertaining, and offer guests the encouragement they need to make their move," restaurant spokeswoman Rachel Waller told the Manchester Evening News.

As the drone flies overhead, it searches for patrons whose behaviors would seem to suggest they could use some help breaking the ice. When the drone spots two people inching closer to one another, for example, it hovers over them, making for a much more memorable experience. The drone even has a so-called "kiss cam" installed to capture those special moments on video.

Fridays is piloting the concept at its restaurant in Manchester, United Kingdom. So far, none have been spotted at locations in the U.S. Then again, there's still more than a month to go until Christmas, so anything could happen between now and then.

“Who knows  – maybe we’ll have had our first mistletoe drone wedding by this time next year," Waller said.

Watch the restaurant's new ad showing how the mistletoe drone is creating memorable moments:

(H/T: Popular Science)

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