developed the first international franchise and the template for future international development. The first restaurant was opened in the UK with Whitbread PLC. Prior to Scoggin's departure in 1986, the company was positioned to appeal to a broader consumer profile. Alcohol consumption was de-emphasized, and quality was emphasized over quantity. The company became privately held again in 1989. The focus was then switched from singles to families. A brand extension, which features the TGI Fridays concept combined with the atmosphere of a sports bar, called "Fridays Front Row Sports Grill", is found at two Major League Baseball stadiums which each overlook the playing field: Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona and Miller Park in Milwaukee. Historically, the chain's highest grossing location is at Haymarket Leicester Square, which opened in 1992 in Central London. The Haymarket branch is also regarded as the "most popular" branch as well as the most successful financially. In October 2009, Haymarket broke the world record for biggest profit made in any week, throughout TGI Fridays' history, and it has been home to several past winners from the bartenders Olympics, a contest started by Scoggin. On May 20, 2014, TGI Fridays was resold to Sentinel Capital Partners and TriArtisan Capital Partners. In October 2019, TriArtisan bought out Sentinel's remaining stake. Controversy In 2013, as part of "Operation Swill", investigators in New Jersey raided 17 TGI Fridays franchised restaurants owned by The Briad Group. They found that the bars were replacing premium brand alcoholic beverages with lower-cost brands yet charging patrons for the more expensive liquor. During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, TGI Fridays refused to join the international community and withdraw from the Russian market. Research from Yale University updated on April 28, 2022, identifying how companies were reacting to Russia's invasion identified TGI Fridays in the category of "Digging In", meaning Defying Demands for Exit: companies defying demands for exit/reduction of activities. TGI Fridays did, however, condemn the invasion and all proceeds from the franchises are being donated to Mercy Chefs, an organisation supporting humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. Franchises TGI Fridays is a franchising operation, with franchisees owning most of the outlets. The largest franchisee is The Briad Group in New Jersey. Whitbread PLC was a major international franchisee. Up until 2007, Whitbread had 45 locations in the UK. On January 17, 2007, Whitbread sold operating rights of all 45 restaurants back to T.G.I. Fridays UK