MANILA, Philippines - Two decades since it swept the local food scene off its feet with the phenomenal opening of the most popular American casual dining restaurant in the country, TGIFriday’s proves that it remains the best place for great food and fun times following a Grand Store of the Year award given out by Ayala Malls. The yearly award is presented by Ayala Malls to its merchant partners who consistently stand out and have achieved overall excellence in store operations and marketing partnerships. The Grand Store of the Year conferred to TGI Friday’s was the highest among all merchant awards in all Ayala Malls. The recognition makes 2014 an auspicious year for TGI Friday’s as the restaurant marks its 20th anniversary in the Philippines this year. “We are very happy receiving this award. The victory is even sweeter now that we are celebrating a major milestone in our history. We have a line-up of exciting developments that includes the launch of our 16th branch at Fairview Terraces Mall on June 10. We also opened the newly-renovated TGIFriday’s in Glorietta 3,†says Jean Paul Manuud, The Bistro Group’s president and chief operating officer. Delicious American-style food in generous portions, cool ambiance and award-winning customer service have always been the recipe for TGIFriday’s long-running success and its growing number of customers is a testament to this.