Cafe Enterprises Inc. proudly introduces FATZ, a contemporary, casual restaurant concept formerly known as Fatz Cafe, with 47 restaurants in the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia. The new brand and logo represent FATZ’s message to evolve and stay current for its guests while continuing to provide quality, craveable food in an environment that feels like home.

Fatz Cafe started with humble beginnings in 1988, in Spartanburg, SC, and spread from one peach shed to a sensation across the Southeast with its varied, reasonably-priced menu, ample portions of quality food and upbeat service in a comfortable atmosphere. Today, FATZ still believes in the same ideals that originated in that fruit stand 22 years ago and strives to deliver warm, friendly service with housemade, quality ingredients to create a “home away from home” for every guest that walks through the door.

In addition to the brand relaunch, which will continue to unveil itself across every location over the next few years, FATZ introduces a new expanded menu that brings back FATZ favorites from menus past and offers 24 brand new items. The menu boasts a variety of items made with quality ingredients, ranging from hand-chopped salads and sizzling appetizers to fresh seafood dishes and housemade desserts. As a result of industry trends and guests’ feedback, FATZ now offers a new “Lite Side” menu for health conscious guests looking for lite and delicious options. These 10 menu items are all under 550 calories, packed with flavor and leave guests feeling full while maintaining their diet goals.

The first FATZ opened in a converted peach shed in Spartanburg, S.C., in November 1988, and now has 47 restaurants throughout the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia. Fatz, a subsidiary of Cafe Enterprises, Inc., ranked No. 34 in the 2010 South Carolina100 list of the state’s largest privately owned companies by South Carolina Business, has also been named one of the nation’s top 400 restaurant concepts by Restaurants & Institutions magazine for the past seven years, most recently ranking No. 245.  In 2008, Chain Leader magazine included FATZ in its “Top 50 Chains Under 50 Units.”

For more information about FATZ, please visit www.FATZ.com.

The French have given Americans a lot to celebrate over the years – the Statue of Liberty, some cheap real estate (remember the Louisiana Purchase?) and a delicious buttery bread called a croissant. As a savory salute to the latter’s invention, Jack in the Box restaurants are serving up a deal that will have guests shouting, “Vive Jacques!” For a limited time beginning today at participating restaurants, Jack in the Box is offering 2 Croissant Sandwiches for just $3, plus tax.

“’Croissant’ is not just a fun word to say, it’s a savory way to jumpstart any breakfast,” said Tammy Bailey, division vice president of menu marketing and promotions for Jack in the Box Inc. “This limited-time offer is a great value for our guests that will fill them up without draining their wallets. And with our full menu available all day every day, guests can order our Croissant Sandwiches any time.”

Jack in the Box guests can choose from two Croissant Sandwiches, each served on a flakey, buttery croissant: The Sausage Croissant features a sausage patty, egg and American cheese, and the Supreme Croissant features ham, an egg, American cheese and new hickory-smoked bacon.

Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. announced today the launch of a new integrated marketing and advertising campaign – Arby’s. It’s Good Mood Food.

Created with BBDO-NY, the campaign launched February 27 and brings to life the brand’s positioning – “Exciting tastes you can feel good about … every day.” The campaign highlights Arby’s good, wholesome, tasty food that puts people in a good mood and is the latest step in Arby’s strategy to grow sales and profits. Arby’s produced a 2.9 percent increase in company-operated same-store sales in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Additional campaign elements include:

• Satirical national television ads, featuring a character named R.B., who helps seemingly opposite couples – a snowboarder and a skier, a dog owner and a cat owner and a cowboy and a city slicker – find common ground over Arby’s food. R.B. is a nod to the Raffel Brothers, who founded Arby’s in 1964.
• The Angus Three Cheese & Bacon Sandwich, which is Arby’s first premium Angus beef offering. The sandwich pairs oven-roasted, thinly sliced Angus beef with Swiss and Cheddar Cheeses, Parmesan Peppercorn Ranch sauce and Pepper Bacon served on a toasted Italian-style roll.
• Arby’s Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/arbys, will be transformed to reflect the campaign and spread the good mood. When Facebook users click on the “Like” icon on the Arby’s page, from February 28 through March 4, they will receive a $1 off coupon to try Arby’s new Angus Three Cheese & Bacon Sandwich for themselves.
• Arby’s will also introduce a new foodie blog, www.blog.arbys.com, in March penned by Vice President of Product Development, Brian Kolodziej. Kolodziej, a professional chef who has worked at fine dining and casual restaurants, will share a behind-the-scenes look in the kitchen at Arby’s, food trends and more.

National television spots and billboards will air on programs including: American Idol, Raising Hope, The Bachelor, Desperate Housewives, Fringe, Grey’s Anatomy, The Office, 30 Rock, and a live in-show commercial during Jimmy Kimmel Live!

“This campaign is focused on our target audience, Balance Seekers, who want and need to eat fast food because of their busy lifestyles, but do not want to feel guilty about eating it. They’re telling us that Arby’s has something over other fast food restaurants… a balance of higher quality, more wholesome food that they can feel good about eating,” said Steve Davis, chief marketing officer, Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. “We like to think that stopping by Arby’s makes their day a little brighter. With this campaign, we’re recommitting our team to inspire good moods each and every day.”

To prepare for the campaign, and because a good mood emanates from within, Arby’s is hosting pep rallies and training sessions for restaurant teams throughout the United States. Arby’s will also bring the campaign to life in its restaurants through signage, menu boards, packaging and more.

Last year, Arby’s introduced an everyday value menu featuring many of Arby’s signature menu items, as well as seasonal favorites, for as little as one dollar.

For more information about Arby’s, please visit www.arbys.com, http://www.facebook.com/arbys or http://twitter.com/Arbys.

CHICAGO  (RestaurantNews.com)  Nearly two out of three consumers recently surveyed by Technomic say they think beef and pork products labeled or menued with premium descriptors such as grass-fed, lean, organic or natural will taste better than other beef and pork products that do not carry these same labels. Terms describing premium types and cuts of meat had a strong influence on perception of flavor and price thresholds, while terms describing natural farming and preparation were likely to influence consumers’ perception of healthfulness.

“Consumers have gained familiarity in the retail sector with descriptions of beef and pork products denoting them as premium,” says Technomic EVP Darren Tristano. “Now as they visit restaurants, they are carrying those experiences with them and seeking out quality cuts, breeds, and preparation through descriptors on the menu.”

To help food industry professionals stay abreast of how the current issues and evolving consumer need-states impact the beef and pork categories, Technomic has developed the Center of the Plate: Beef & Pork Consumer Trend Report.

Findings include:

• Among consumers who do not eat meat regularly, health is the number one deterrent. Interestingly, many consumers feel that lean and extra lean cuts of meat actually taste better while also being healthier.
• New menu trends on the horizon for beef and pork include Asian and Caribbean culinary influences, as well as upscale positioning for urban barbecue concepts.
• Consumers crave more variety from the pork offerings at restaurants and indicate that they would order pork dishes more often if these needs were satisfied.

Technomic’s Center of the Plate: Beef & Pork Consumer Trend Report is an all-in-one guide to the beef and pork categories. It provides comprehensive analysis of beef and pork menu and consumer trends based on the attitudes and preferences of more than 1,500 consumers and detailed menu and flavor data culled from Technomic’s exclusive MenuMonitor trend tracking tool. Additionally, consumer data from the 2008 edition of the report is included, where relevant, to provide year-over-year comparisons and added insight into the beef and pork categories.

To purchase or learn more about this report please visit Technomic.com or contact one of the individuals listed below.

About Technomic

Technomic provides clients with the facts, insights and consulting support they need to enhance their business strategies, decisions and results. Its services include numerous publications and digital products, as well as proprietary studies and ongoing research on all aspects of the food industry.

The National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) – a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry – stood at 100.2 in January, down 0.8 percent from its December level. Despite the decline, January marked the fourth time in the last five months that the RPI stood above 100, which signifies expansion in the index of key industry indicators.

“The RPI’s January decline was due in large to part to dampened sales and traffic levels as a result of extreme weather in some parts of the country,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the Research and Knowledge Group for the National Restaurant Association. “Although restaurant operators reported softer same-store sales and customer traffic results in January, their outlook for sales growth and the economy remained optimistic.”

“Overall, the economic fundamentals of the restaurant industry remain positive, which will likely lead to stronger sales and traffic levels in the months ahead,” Riehle added.

The RPI is constructed so that the health of the restaurant industry is measured in relation to a steady-state level of 100. Index values above 100 indicate that key industry indicators are in a period of expansion, and index values below 100 represent a period of contraction for key industry indicators. The RPI consists of two components, the Current Situation Index and the Expectations Index.

The Current Situation Index, which measures current trends in four industry indicators (same-store sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures), stood at 98.6 in January – down 1.1 percent from its December level. The Current Situation Index remained below 100 for the third consecutive month, which signifies contraction in the current situation indicators.

Due in large part to extreme weather conditions in some parts of the country, sales levels were dampened in January. Thirty-nine percent of restaurant operators reported a same-store sales gain between January 2010 and January 2011, down from 48 percent of operators who reported higher same-store sales in December. In comparison, 44 percent of operators reported a same-store sales decline in January, up from 35 percent of operators who reported lower sales in December.

Restaurant operators also reported a net decline in customer traffic levels in January. Thirty-five percent of restaurant operators reported an increase in customer traffic between January 2010 and January 2011, down from 43 percent of operators who reported higher traffic in December. In comparison, 44 percent of operators reported a traffic decline in January, up from 34 percent in December.

Despite the softer sales and traffic levels, restaurant operators continued to report relatively steady levels of capital spending. Thirty-nine percent of operators said they made a capital expenditure for equipment, expansion or remodeling during the last three months, roughly on par with the levels reported in the last two monthly surveys.

The Expectations Index, which measures restaurant operators’ six-month outlook for four industry indicators (same-store sales, employees, capital expenditures and business conditions), stood at 101.8 in January – down 0.5 percent from December’s 45-month high of 102.4. Despite the decline, the Expectations Index stood above the 100 level for the sixth consecutive month, which signifies expansion in the forward-looking indicators.

Restaurant operators remain optimistic that their sales levels will improve in the months ahead. Forty-seven percent of restaurant operators expect to have higher sales in six months (compared to the same period in the previous year), down from 55 percent who reported similarly last month. In comparison, 14 percent of restaurant operators expect their sales volume in six months to be lower than it was during the same period in the previous year, up from eight percent who reported similarly last month.

Restaurant operators are also relatively optimistic about the direction of the overall economy. Forty-two percent of restaurant operators said they expect economic conditions to improve in six months, compared to 46 percent who reported similarly last month. In comparison, 10 percent of operators said they expect economic conditions to worsen in the next six months, up slightly from eight percent who reported similarly last month.

Buoyed by a positive outlook for sales and the economy, restaurant operators’ plans for capital expenditures remained relatively steady. Forty-eight percent of restaurant operators plan to make a capital expenditure for equipment, expansion or remodeling in the next six months, compared to 50 percent who reported similarly last month.

For the fourth consecutive month, restaurant operators reported a positive outlook for staffing gains in the months ahead. Twenty-four percent of restaurant operators plan to increase staffing levels in six months (compared to the same period in the previous year), while just 11 percent said they expect to reduce staffing levels in six months.

The RPI is based on the responses to the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Industry Tracking Survey, which is fielded monthly among restaurant operators nationwide on a variety of indicators including sales, traffic, labor, and capital expenditures. The full report is available online.

The RPI is released on the last business day of each month, and more detailed data and analysis can be found on Restaurant TrendMapper (www.restaurant.org/trendmapper), the Association’s subscription-based service that provides detailed analysis of restaurant industry trends.

Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 960,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of nearly 13 million employees. Together with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Association works to lead America’s restaurant industry into a new era of prosperity, prominence, and participation, enhancing the quality of life for all we serve. For more information, visit our Web site at www.restaurant.org.

Dunkin’ Donuts has big news for people seeking a satisfying breakfast on-the-go that’s larger and heartier than the typical breakfast sandwich. Dunkin’ Donuts today introduced the new Big ‘N Toasty Breakfast Sandwich, the brand’s biggest breakfast sandwich ever.

So what’s the “big” deal? The Big ‘N Toasty Breakfast Sandwich features two peppered fried eggs, four slices of cherrywood smoked bacon and a slice of American cheese, all packed between two thick slices of Texas toast. The Big ‘N Toasty Breakfast Sandwich is Dunkin’ Donuts’ first breakfast sandwich to feature Texas toast. It will be available at participating Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants nationwide for a limited time at the suggested retail price of $3.29.

According to John Costello, Chief Global Customer and Marketing Officer at Dunkin’ Brands, the Big ‘N Toasty Breakfast Sandwich offers guests with big appetites a new choice to keep themselves running throughout their day. “At Dunkin’ Donuts, we realize that people on-the-go at times crave heartier foods to start their day. With the Big ‘N Toasty Breakfast Sandwich, Dunkin’ Donuts can satisfy even the biggest appetites with a fulfilling, portable breakfast at an affordable price,” he said.

In honor of the new Big ‘N Toasty Breakfast Sandwich, in March Dunkin’ Donuts is serving up one of its biggest Twitter giveaways ever.  All five Tuesdays during the month, followers of @DunkinDonuts on Twitter are invited to participate in “Big ‘N Toasty Trivia Tuesdays,” in which Dunkin’ Donuts will ask two questions related to some of the world’s biggest things. If you tweet a correct answer using the hashtag #BigNToasty, you are eligible for a chance to win a $100 Dunkin’ Donuts Card. Dunkin’ Donuts will award a total of 10 $100 Dunkin’ Donuts Cards throughout the month, one for each trivia question.

To learn more about Dunkin’ Donuts, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com or follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/DunkinDonuts) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/DunkinDonuts).

Today, the way Americans eat on-the-go will change forever as Heinz announces the national availability of Heinz Dip & Squeeze Ketchup, the new packaging innovation that allows for both dipping and squeezing and holds three times as much Heinz Ketchup as the traditional packet.¹ After 42 years of messing with ketchup packets, people can now eat America’s Favorite Ketchup with ease.

To celebrate the availability of the new package, Friday March 4^th will be declared FREE FryDay at Chick-fil-A restaurants. Between 2 and 4 p.m. local time, ketchup lovers who ask for Heinz Dip & Squeeze Ketchup at all Chick-fil-A restaurants will receive a FREE medium order of Chick-fil-A Waffle Potato Fries, limit one per customer. Chick-fil-A is the first restaurant partner to carry Dip & Squeeze Ketchup nationwide.

The Wait Is Over

Heinz Ketchup fans have been eagerly awaiting their chance to try Dip & Squeeze Ketchup since it was unveiled in 2010. Since then, the Heinz Ketchup Road Trip, a mobile tour featuring Heinz Dip & Squeeze Ketchup with a side of free fries traveled more than 5,500 miles to give ketchup lovers a chance to try the new package and share their feedback.

“The response from consumers who have had the chance to experience the new Dip & Squeeze Ketchup package has been overwhelmingly positive,” said John Bennett, Vice President of Marketing at Heinz. “People have been telling us that they love the convenience and functionality of the new package, and we are thrilled that it is now available to people nationwide.”

To Dip or to Squeeze? That is the question.

After trying Dip & Squeeze Ketchup with French fries on the Heinz Ketchup Road Trip, more than 1,000 people were surveyed about their ketchup eating habits. The findings? Sixty-three percent of people said they were “dippers,” while 37 percent considered themselves “squeezers.” If you’re a double dipper, you’re not alone! A majority of ketchup lovers weren’t embarrassed to admit to ‘double dipping’ when sharing Heinz Ketchup.

Join the Fun

Now that Dip & Squeeze Ketchup is available nationwide, ketchup enthusiasts everywhere are encouraged to join in the fun on FryDay and beyond.

Facebook – Post FryDay photos of dipping and squeezing in action on the Heinz Ketchup and Chick-fil-A pages: www.facebook.com/HeinzKetchup and www.facebook.com/ChickfilA.

Twitter - Twitter users can follow @DipAndSqueeze and @ChickfilA and use the hashtag #FreeFryDay to answer trivia questions for a chance to win Heinz and Chick-fil-A prizes!

Mobile Game – The fun doesn’t stop after mealtime. With the new Dip & Squeeze Ketchup Craze Mobile Game now available for free on iTunes, dipping and squeezing skills can be tested in ten different games – from dipping nuggets to squeezing ketchup onto a burger.

Locator Application – To find the closest Chick-fil-A restaurant serving Heinz Dip & Squeeze Ketchup, check out the Dip & Squeeze Ketchup Locator at www.HeinzKetchup.com/Dip-and-Squeeze/Locator.

YouTube Channel – For more ketchup-themed entertainment including “Great Moments in Ketchup” and other fun videos, visit the Heinz Dip & Squeeze Ketchup YouTube channel – YouTube.com/HeinzDipAndSqueeze.

Heinz Dip & Squeeze Ketchup is now available at Chick-fil-A restaurants nationwide and will be rolling out in select quick-service restaurants in the coming months.

For more information on Heinz Ketchup, please visit www.heinzketchup.com or check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HeinzKetchup or @DipAndSqueeze on Twitter.

For more information on Chick-fil-A, visit www.Chick-fil-A.com or www.facebook.com/ChickfilA

¹ One package of new Heinz Dip & Squeeze equals three, nine-gram ketchup packets.

Southern Living is joining the Charleston Restaurant Association to present the Southern Living Taste of Charleston 2011 in Charleston, South Carolina.

For the first time this year, the main event expands from one day to two.  It will be held at Boone Hall Plantation in nearby Mt. Pleasant on October 8 and 9, 2011.

This celebration of Lowcountry cuisine will feature approximately 50 of Charleston’s top restaurants showcasing samples of their signature dishes, as well as Southern Living editor appearances, editorial-inspired vignettes, demonstrations, giveaways and more.

“Charleston has always been a quintessential Southern city, and a favorite of our readers,” said Southern Living publisher Rich Smyth. “We’re thrilled to partner with the Charleston Restaurant Association to host this great event that celebrates world-class Southern food, music, art and culture.”

“We cannot think of a better partner than Southern Living to help the CRA grow our 30-year-old festival and take it to the next level.   We share tremendous synergies of Southern heritage, food, culture and best of all — the love of Charleston, SC,” said Michael Saboe, President of the Charleston Restaurant Association.

Tickets will be available this summer. For more information, go to: www.charlestonrestaurantassociation.com. Proceeds will benefit local nonprofits.

Southern Living, published 12 times a year by the Time Inc. Lifestyle Group, is the nation’s sixth-largest monthly consumer magazine, reaching nearly 16 million readers each month. Founded in 1966, Southern Living offers today’s busy Southern woman achievable ideas for cultivating her own Southern style. Each month in the magazine and on southernliving.com, readers find ideas for cooking, gardening, gracious entertaining, decorating, regional travel and locally made products.

The Charleston Restaurant Association (CRA) represents the largest private sector employer in the tri-county area. The association serves as the voice of the Charleston-area food service industry on government and public relations issues. Annual fund-raising events like the Taste of Charleston and Lowcountry Oyster Festival enable them to give back to the community. To date, the CRA has donated more than $1 million to local charities including the Ronald McDonald House, Hollings Cancer Center and Charleston County Schools Science Materials Resource Center.

Church’s Chicken, one of the world’s leading quick-service restaurant chains, announced that it has closed a new asset-backed securitization, comprised of $220 million of Senior Secured Notes, which have a maturity date of February 2018, and $25 million in Senior Secured Revolving Notes. The new credit facility is the first whole-business securitization completed in the restaurant sector since 2007 and attracted significant demand from institutional investors. Proceeds from the securitization were used to repay the outstanding balance of the existing credit facilities, to pay related fees and expenses, and to pay a dividend to shareholders. Church’s Chicken is majority-owned by Friedman Fleischer & Lowe, a private equity firm based in San Francisco.

“This new financing structure provides Church’s Chicken with greater financial flexibility and a significantly lower cost of capital, which better positions us to execute on our strategy and achieve our growth objectives,” said Mel Deane, CEO of Church’s Chicken.

“Church’s Chicken enjoys great brand recognition and promising long-term growth prospects. We are pleased that we have been able to leverage these strengths to put a more efficient capital structure in place,” added Rajat Duggal, Managing Director at Friedman Fleischer & Lowe.

The securitization was arranged by Barclays Capital who acted as Sole Structuring Advisor and Sole Bookrunning Manager.

SAN FRANCISCO  (RestaurantNews.com)   OpenTable, Inc. (Nasdaq:OPEN), a leading provider of free, real-time online restaurant reservations for diners and reservation and guest management solutions for restaurants, today announced the 50 winners of its Diners’ Choice Awards for Restaurants Providing the Best Service in the United States. The list of winners is derived from more than seven million reviews submitted by OpenTable diners for more than 12,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Demonstrating that Southern hospitality is alive and well, 19 of the winning restaurants are located in the South, including three from Charleston, South Carolina. The West is second best with 13 of its restaurants landing spots, followed by the Northeast with 12 winners, and the Midwest with five honorees.  Restaurants in the always-influential states of California and New York earned, respectively, nine and six nods from OpenTable diners.

Overall, French restaurants remain the gold standard for white-glove service, with 18 of the Diners’ Choice Award recipients serving the cuisine of France.  Restaurants serving American cuisine came in second, earning 13 awards.

“Flawless service is the cornerstone of an unforgettable meal,” said Caroline Potter, OpenTable’s Chief Dining Officer. “Restaurants, particularly those in the South, understand that delivering impeccable service along with innovative dishes and comfort food is a winning combination. Of course, the mastery of service at so many French restaurants isn’t surprising since France is the birthplace of fine dining.”

Based on feedback collected from OpenTable diners between February 2010 and January 2011, the following 50 restaurants, listed in alphabetical order, received the highest scores from OpenTable diners.  For more information about this list, please visit http://www.opentable.com/bestservice.

Acquerello – San Francisco, California

Addison at The Grand Del Mar – San Diego, California

Ambience – Sacramento, California

Blue Hill at Stone Barns – Pocantico Hills, New York

Bones – Atlanta, George

Café Renaissance – Vienna, Virginia

Charleston – Baltimore, Maryland

Charleston Grill – Charleston, South Carolina

Chez Francois-Vermilion – Vermilion, Ohio

The Chop House – Grand Rapids, Michigan

Cyrus – Healdsburg, California

Daniel–Lounge Seating – New York, New York

Daniel – New York, New York

Eleven Madison Park – New York, New York

Erling Jensen The Restaurant – Memphis, Tennessee

Farmhouse Inn & Restaurant – Forestville, California

Fearrington House Restaurant – Pittsboro, North Carolina

Fountain Restaurant – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Frasca Food and Wine – Boulder, Colorado

The French Laundry – Yountville, California

The French Room — Dallas, Texas

Halls Chophouse – Charleston, South Carolina

Highlands Bar & Grill – Birmingham, Alabama

The Hobbit – Orange, California

Kai – Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort – Chandler, Arizona

The Kitchen Restaurant – Sacramento, California

L’Auberge Chez Francois – Great Falls, Virginia

La Belle Vie – Minneapolis, Minnesota

La Mer at Halekulani – Honolulu, Hawaii

Le Bernardin – New York, New York

Madrona Manor – Healdsburg, California

The Melting Pot – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Menton – Boston, Massachusetts

NAOE – Sunny Isles Beach, Florida

Nicholas – Red Bank, New Jersey

Palace Arms at the Brown Palace – Denver, Colorado

Peninsula Grill – Charleston, South Carolina

Pepper Tree Restaurant – Colorado Springs, Colorado

Per Se – New York, New York

Plume at the Jefferson Hotel – Washington, D.C.

Saint Jacques French Cuisine – Raleigh, North Carolina

Sonoma – Princeton, Massachusetts

St. John’s Restaurant – Chattanooga, Tennessee

Terrapin Restaurant – Virginia Beach, Virginia

Tony’s – St. Louis, Missouri

TRU – Chicago, Illinois

Uchi – Austin, Texas

Vetri – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

White Barn Inn – Kennebunk Beach, Maine

Woodfire Grill – Atlanta, Georgia

Diners can also find additional information on the Diners’ Choice for Restaurants Awards with Best Service by visiting the OpenTable “Dining Check” blog at http://blog.opentable.com/.

About OpenTable, Inc. 

OpenTable is a leading provider of free, real-time online restaurant reservations for diners and reservation and guest management solutions for restaurants. The OpenTable network delivers the convenience of online restaurant reservations to diners and the operational benefits of a computerized reservation book to restaurants. OpenTable has more than 20,000 restaurant customers, and, since its inception in 1998, has seated more than 200 million diners around the world. The Company is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and the OpenTable service is available throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. OpenTable also owns and operates toptable.com, a leading restaurant reservation site in the United Kingdom.

UFood Restaurant Group Inc. announced today that the company has signed a franchise agreement with The Omni Club, a leading fitness facility in Fort Myers, Florida, which will operate a UFood Grill at their facility, bringing healthy quick service food to its club members.

“We are proud to partner with The Omni Club,” said UFood CEO George Naddaff. ”We have enjoyed getting to know CEO Bill Davey and his team who have shown tremendous enthusiasm for our concept. We know that our nutrition-focused menu is a perfect fit for health clubs. The Omni Club, led by Bill’s expert knowledge of health and fitness, is the ideal partner for us as we enter this new channel.”

The Omni Club was founded by William G. Davey, a competitive bodybuilder and exercise physiologist. After earning a Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, with a focus in Cardiac Rehabilitation, Davey began bodybuilding, eventually winning the AAU Mr. America Title in 1997.

Davey and his business partner opened The Omni Club in Fort Myers in 2004. Three years later, Davey learned about UFood and became interested in bringing the company’s healthy menu to his clubs.

Now with four locations (Fort Myers, Florida; Evans, Athens and Augusta, Georgia), The Omni Club offers patrons leading-edge equipment and facilities, backed by a knowledgeable staff committed to helping clients achieve their fitness goals.

“Shortly after I learned about UFood, I spoke with George who invited me to try it with my family,” said Davey. “My wife, Cynthia, a 1998 Ms. Galaxy, and I fell in love with the concept. We are thrilled to bring this concept to our customers in Fort Myers. Being fit isn’t just about working out — it’s also about feeding your body the right things. I believe that UFood will help us offer our customers the perfect balance of fitness and nutrition.”

UFood Grill is committed to offering consumers food that is both delicious and nutritious, with a wide-ranging menu that includes lean burgers, rice bowls, salads, wraps and smoothies. The company currently has eight locations in Boston, Dallas and Cleveland, including airports (Logan Airport, Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport), urban areas and Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. 

Headquartered in Boston, Mass., UFood Restaurant Group, Inc. is a franchisor and operator of fast-casual food service restaurants. UFood Grill offers a healthy lifestyle alternative to consumers in the fast-casual restaurant space and is positioned to become a leading player in the “better-for-you” quick-serve restaurant category. The Company is led by franchise innovator George Naddaff, who founded Boston Market and led the franchising of several companies including Sylvan Learning Center and VR Business Brokers. Mr. Naddaff has assembled a veteran management team with a successful record in the franchise market. UFood is currently launching a growth plan to franchise nationwide. To learn more, visit www.ufoodgrill.com.

In celebration of National Pancake Day, IHOP restaurants nationwide will offer each guest a free short stack of IHOP’s famous buttermilk pancakes on Tuesday, March 1, 2011 in an effort to raise awareness and funds for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and other local charities.

This year, IHOP is hoping to stack up more donations than ever before, with a goal to raise $2.3 million, for a total of more than $7.5 million in six years with its National Pancake Day fundraising effort.

To find a local IHOP or to donate online, visit www.ihoppancakeday.com.

National Pancake Day Fun Facts:

• IHOP served four million free pancakes on National Pancake Day 2010 and pancake lovers donated more than $2.1 million to children’s charities, far exceeding the fundraising goal.
• All of the free pancakes served on National Pancake Day 2010 would have created a stack more than 31.5 miles high. 
• Since the inception of National Pancake Day in 2006, IHOP has raised more than $5.35 million and given away more than 10.1 million pancakes to support charities in the communities in which it operates. 
• National Pancake Day 2010 was IHOP’s largest one-day event in the company’s 52-year history.

For 52 years, the IHOP family restaurant chain has served its world famous pancakes and a wide variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner items that are loved by people of all ages. IHOP offers its guests an affordable, everyday dining experience with warm and friendly service. The first IHOP opened in Toluca Lake, Calif. in 1958, and as of September 30, 2010, there were 1,483 IHOPs in 50 states and the District of Columbia, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. IHOP restaurants are franchised and operated by Glendale, Calif.-based International House of Pancakes, LLC and its affiliates. International House of Pancakes, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of DineEquity, Inc. (NYSE: DIN).

Coppell-based CiCi’s Pizza, a rapidly-expanding 600-unit pizza, pasta, salad and dessert buffet chain, announced today it has signed agreements for the addition of 16 units over the next five years and hired Wingstop veteran Bruce Evans to lead franchise sales. The moves are part of CiCi’s growth initiative, with the goal of adding 500 restaurants in the next eight to 10 years.

“Texas is a focus in our plan for strategic and sustainable growth,” said Mike Shumsky, CiCi’s Pizza CEO. “Texas has led the nation in job growth for the past decade, and we have strong brand loyalty and brand recognition here. As we continue to build restaurants for long-term success, Texas, as well as Southern California and Southern Florida, will be key to our expansion goals.”

All 16 restaurants will open in the Houston and San Antonio areas. The restaurants will be built by current franchisees Tommy and Tami Marlin and Guillermo Perales, who leads Mucho Pizza, a subsidiary of CG Management. Mucho Pizza already operates more than 50 CiCi’s restaurants in Texas and Maryland.

Perales, a Dallas resident and prominent franchisee who oversees more than 200 restaurants across big-name brands like Burger King, Golden Corral, Denny’s and Popeye’s, will begin developing restaurants in the Houston area this year. One of the largest Latino franchisees in the U.S., Perales has been named one of the top 100 Hispanic entrepreneurs by Poder magazine and is regularly recognized by business organizations as an industry leader for his top-notch operations results.

Current franchisees Tommy and Tami Marlin have also signed on for additional units. The couple, along with their son Shane, already operates eight successful CiCi’s restaurants in Abilene, San Angelo, Laredo and San Antonio, Texas.

“Mr. Perales and the Marlins are exactly the kind of franchisees that will ensure CiCi’s remains profitable as it grows,” said Bill Spae, CiCi’s Pizza Chief Development Officer. “Their experience with best practices and proven track records sets an example, and the tone, for future franchisees.”

New Vice President of Franchise Sales Bruce Evans, a 15-year restaurant and franchise veteran, will work directly with new and potential franchisees to make certain they’re poised for profitability. As director and then vice president of franchise development for Richardson-based Wingstop, Evans developed sales strategies that helped grow the franchise chain from 50 units to more than 500 in just nine years.

“Bruce understands the franchise world and has had measurable success driving the kind of aggressive growth we are seeking,” Spae said. “New franchisees will quickly recognize what an asset he is to our business.”

CiCi’s Pizza, started in Plano, Texas in 1985, is as a family-oriented restaurant with a fresh, hot pizza, pasta, salad and dessert buffet featuring up to 20 varieties of pizza made with fresh ingredients for $4.99. CiCi’s was recently again ranked No. 1 in its category in Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2011 Franchise 500, and has been recognized as a top franchise business. Nation’s Restaurant News ranked CiCi’s No. 1 in the pizza category for the past three years and QSR Magazine named CiCi’s to the 2010 list of the top 50 quick-service restaurant concepts. CiCi’s has also been recognized by USA Today, Restaurants & Institutions, the Wall Street Journal, Franchise Today and Parents. CiCi’s has more than 600 restaurants in 35 states and the recent One Brand Tour, led by CEO Mike Shumsky, ensures each and every franchisee upholds the highest brand standards. CiCi’s corporate support center is led by a strong team of experts with more than 150 years of combined experience in franchising, business, operations, human resources, growth strategy, advertising, marketing and public relations.

For more information about CiCi’s, visit CiCi’s Pizza or www.facebook.com/cicis. For information on CiCi’s franchise opportunities contact Bruce Evans bevans@cicispizza.com at or 972-745-9318.

McDonald’s Restaurants announced plans to “shake things up” with the introduction of the McCafe Shake, which are currently available in restaurants and will change the way customers experience the traditional menu item. The McCafe Shake will feature the three classic milkshake flavors (chocolate, vanilla and strawberry) in a clear McCafe cup, topped with whipped cream and a cherry.  The announcement comes in conjunction with the return of the Shamrock Shake, which will be available to customers in stores March 1-31, with a portion of the proceeds from each Shamrock Shake sale benefitting Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC).

To celebrate the McCafe Shake and the return of the Shamrock Shake, McDonald’s will hold a McCafe Shake “Social” Fundraiser from March 1-17. During the fundraiser, customers can check-in on foursquare at any restaurant in the Philadelphia Region and send their check-in to Twitter with a @McDPhilly mention. For every check-in received, McDonald’s will donate $1 to RMHC. Each customer who participates in the “social” fundraiser will receive a “Be Our Guest” coupon for a free McCafe Shake. Customers can also purchase a Shamrock Shake in the restaurants to make a donation.

“We are excited to introduce customers to the new McCafe Shake experience through our ‘Social’ fundraiser,” said John Durante, president, McDonald’s Restaurants of the Philadelphia Region Owner/Operator Association. “We are also encouraging our customers start checking-in on foursquare to support this terrific cause.”

Social responsibility has been a fundamental part of McDonald’s business for more than 50 years. With a shared history that dates back to McDonald’s support in the creation of the first Ronald McDonald House in 1974 here in Philadelphia, McDonald’s has supported RMHC and its mission to improve the health and well-being of children around the world. McDonald’s also supports in-restaurant donation boxes to benefit RMHC. Demonstrating how every penny adds up, last year McDonald’s customers raised nearly $20 million nationwide for RMHC through the in-restaurant donation boxes.

NBC has launched a promotion offering free Chipotle food for anyone who watches a 90-second promo on Facebook for the upcoming show America’s Next Great Restaurant.

The network is using an app on the show’s Facebook Page where, in exchange for watching the promo, visitors get a buy-one, get-one-free coupon at Chipotle. The chain’s founder and CEO, Steve Ells, is one of four investors in the show.

Customers who print out the coupon can get a free Chipotle meal, including a burrito, tacos or a bowl with the purchase of another meal. The promotion ends March 6.

Continue reading . . .

Among fast casual restaurants, Applebee’s generated the largest online impact between November 2010 and January 2011, according to the latest quarterly report on the segment from media measurement technology firm General Sentiment.

Applebee’s realized online exposure that would translate to more than $9.5 million if purchased through traditional media. Its buzz was driven in large part by its addition of three new Weight Watchers-endorsed entrées (it already offered two), according to the report.

General Sentiment tracks volume of mentions across online news media, social media and Twitter and factors in positive and negative sentiment to calculate purchase equivalent media values.

Continue reading . . .

A food fight is breaking out in downtown San Francisco, with a group of restaurants squaring off against an incursion of food trucks that they say pose unfair competition.

The rift broke out a month ago after a food-truck vendor called JapaCurry began parking in front of restaurants in a South of Market neighborhood, selling to-go meals during the busy lunch hour. “They just showed up right in front of us, and didn’t even ask,” said Jasmine Tran, a clerk at Tart to Tart, a bakery café on Mission Street. “It hurt our business, definitely.”

A dozen other nearby restaurants in the Mission and Second Street area signed a Jan. 21 complaint to San Francisco police asking to keep the vendor from parking so close to them. The complaint prompted the police to revoke JapaCurry owner Jay Hamada’s permit for that street. Mr. Hamada disputes that he posed a business threat because his menu of mostly Japanese curry dishes isn’t offered at any of the area’s restaurants.

Continue reading . . .

New Orleans, LA  (RestaurantNews.com)  The Hinson Group, Inc. is pleased to announce the launch of ChefsMove.Org.   The team was tapped to worked with Chefs Move! to create their brand and identity, and ultimately the Chefs Move! website.  States Hinson, “We were honored to lend our time and expertise to this project.  Many of our clients are restaurants so for us, it’s important to support opportunity for future Chefs.”  

Chefs Move! is a scholarship aimed at providing minorities in the New Orleans area with culinary scholarships.  Established by television personality and chef John Besh, along with Jessica Bride and Nick Mayor, the scholarship includes full tuition to attend a nine-month career program at The French Culinary Institute (FCI) in New York City, an eight-week paid internship at a John Besh restaurant and, most importantly, guidance and mentoring from Chef John Besh as they go through this advancement in their lives.

Chef John Besh grew up in Southern Louisiana and has set the benchmark for fine dining in New Orleans with his seven acclaimed restaurants.  His entrepreneurial projects include the creation of Besh Restaurant Group Catering; the launch of a line of gourmet products; and the publication of his first cookbook, My New Orleans (Andrews McMeel Publishing, October 2009.)  A former US Marine, Besh partnered with Baton Rouge-based emergency reconstruction specialists Arkel International, for which he creates high quality ready-to-eat meals for distribution to thousands of emergency response teams.  His sense of culinary and cultural stewardship and responsibility led him to create the John Besh Foundation in 2010.  

About The Hinson Group:

Headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, The Hinson Group, Inc. is an award-winning, full service marketing, advertising, strategic branding and consulting firm with a reputation for building equity for our client’s brands.

Our specialized areas of expertise include hospitality, retail, consumer goods and not-for-profit.  Current clients represent over 340 restaurants, retail outlets and non-profit organizations nationwide.

In celebration of its grand opening, the first 50 qualified patrons in line for the opening of the new Pearland Bullritos (11th location) will receive an Unbelievabull Giveaway – one free burrito per week for a year!

When:
Monday, February 28th, 2011
10 a.m. Open to the First 50 Patrons
11 a.m. Open to the Public                                       

Where:
Bullritos Pearland
3115 Dixie Farm Road @ FM 518
Pearland, Texas 77581

Brought to you by the Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen group, Bullritos is a quick-casual, family-friendly burrito joint serving bag ‘n’ go burritos (bullritos), bowls and tacos. Bullritos is committed to providing the highest-quality burrito possible with a no-bull approach on value and taste satisfaction. Currently, the Bullritos franchise has eleven locations throughout Houston and the surrounding areas. For more information, visit www.bullritos.com.  

Contact:
Heather McKeon
Bullritos Marketing Director
832.215.9337

The SUBWAY restaurant chain, long known for providing entrepreneurs with the opportunity to open and operate their own small businesses, has reached the milestone of 600 locations in the Los Angeles area.  The prior milestone of 500 locations occurred in June 2008 and in a little more than two years, the chain has added 100 restaurants and created jobs for over 1,500 people in a struggling economy.  

The landmark restaurant, owned by multi-unit SUBWAY franchisees, Parvis “Perry” Mohammadi, Mehrangiz “Mehry” Goodarzi, and Sharab “Sherry” Siegel, is a family run business located inside one of the city’s iconic landmarks—Union Station, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  

“We are thrilled to have the privilege of opening the 600th Subway restaurant in Los Angeles and appreciate all the support from our valued customers, as well as the staff of the local Subway development office. Without them, we would not be here today,” says Mehry Mohammadi.

Los Angeles SUBWAY number 600 is quite unique for a chain restaurant. It is a full store inside a kiosk. Keeping in theme with the rest of the Station, the restaurant sports a dark wood finish. Although only 250 square feet, the restaurant sold 362 subs on its first day of business.  

“It’s a historical building,” says Hardy Grewal, Los Angeles based Development Agent for the SUBWAY chain. “Permitting had to go through not only all of the usual departments, but also the Historical Board as well. Our office, contractor and franchisees all worked together to bring this to fruition.”  

Franchisees, Perry, a former engineer, and his wife, Mehry, a banker, first became members of the SUBWAY family in 1996. Daughter, Sherry, later joined them, after working as an attorney. Their original goal was to ultimately own and operate thirteen SUBWAY restaurants. Although the Union Station location is their 8th SUBWAY restaurant, it is still their goal to reach that “lucky number thirteen.” In addition to Union Station, the family also operates SUBWAY restaurants in Sunland, Pasadena, and downtown Los Angeles.

“We had two choices, continue our education and remain in our respective fields or become self-employed entrepreneurs,” said Mehry Mohammadi.  “We decided to become entrepreneurs and chose Subway because of the healthy aspect of the food. Plus, Subway co-founder, Fred DeLuca’s story of fulfilling his dream of going to college and funding his education by going into business at age 17 particularly resonated with us being immigrants with a dream.”

As small business owners living their dream, Mehry is often found behind the scenes at one of their restaurants focused on customer service and operations, while Perry concentrates on systems and paperwork, Sherry looks towards increasing customer traffic through various marketing efforts.

“We congratulate Perry, Mehry and Sherry on their achievement and wish them continued success in the years to come. Six hundred locations is a terrific milestone for us.  We look forward to increased development in 2011 and eventually crossing the 700 open locations line with extra focus on non-traditional opportunities.  This year, we are expecting to open in locations such as UCLA, the City of Hope Hospital, an exclusive area in Santa Monica, and the Pier in Hermosa Beach, just to name a few,” comments Grewal. 

Headquartered in Milford, Connecticut, and with regional offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Brisbane, Miami and Singapore, the SUBWAY chain was co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in 1965. Their partnership, which continues today, marked the beginning of a remarkable journey — one that has made it possible for thousands of individuals to build and succeed in their own business.

In the 2010 Zagat Fast Food Survey, the SUBWAY brand was ranked “number one” by consumers in the “Most Popular,” “Top Service” and “Healthy Options” categories for food brands with 5,000 or more locations.

For more information about the SUBWAY chain, visit www.subway.com.

Find us on Facebook: Facebook.com/subway.

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/subwayfreshbuzz.

Unilever Food Solutions’s recently released World Menu Report has found that 70% of U.S. Consumers would like more information explaining the nutritional value and sources of the food they order while dining out. Nearly 70% also responded that they would made healthier choices if they could access clear nutritional information.

The survey covered seven countries, including the United States, Germany, China and Brazil. 3,500 diners answered questions designed to measure attitudes around the world towards dining out. All survey participants eat at least one meal a week outside the home.

Despite the high amount of requests for more nutritional, sourcing and preparation information, 83% of diners reported that the information was not available when they dined out. Surprisingly, other countries showed higher demand for food information. Developing nations like Brazil and Turkey had nearly 90% of respondents request extra information when dining out.

This clearly shows that consumers around the world are changing their attitudes about food. Healthy, safe foods are becoming more of a priority for diners in both the United States and other countries. No longer is taste the only deciding factor in restaurant food choices. Chefs and menu planners who are interested in capturing more demanding diners will shown have to add more in-depth nutritional information to their menus. Without adequate transparency they may fall behind restaurants that choose to share information with consumers.

Unilever Food Solutions produced the survey to help enhance their own food offerings, which are designed to help restaurants produce quality food with less time consuming preparation work. The company produces many meat and fresh vegetable products that become part of diner’s meals across the world. Understanding how much information consumers need to make healthy choices will help them tailor their offerings to new demands.

Zagat Survey, the well known provider of diner produced restaurant ratings and reviews, has recently released their redesigned website. The new website includes many more free features for non-subscribers, as well as a powerful and flexible restaurant search tool. Member contributions are also recognized in a new way, offering contributors more incentive to add their own restaurant information and reviews.

Zagat Survey relies on the responses of diners from across the world to create their famous yearly handbooks of fine dining and to create listings on the website. To reward respondents, they’ve added new Buzz dining blogs and increased the amount of free content any visitor can access. The website also has plans to add new features over the next few months, some of them free and some only available for subscribers.

Interactive maps will allow visitors to find restaurants by neighborhood or by choosing a popular spot or landmark to focus on. Restaurant genres and cuisine types are also part of the search system, allowing all visitors to narrow down their dining choices with just a few clicks.

Review quotes published on the site will no longer be anonymous either. Member profiles will be linked to each quote so review readers can see the person behind the review. Contributors can earn special badges by being the first to review a new restaurant or by making a particularly well written review.

Members who would like to highlight the best Chinese restaurants in their city can now do so through creating a list. Zagat editors will produce regular Top Lists for certain cuisines and locations as well. These lists will be available for free to all visitors.

For exciting deals and one of a kind experiences, the ZAGAT Presents and ZAGAT Exclusives programs will give members chances to purchase meal coupons or join in on special meals. Menu access and online reservations are also a part of these special programs. For full access to all features, the website requires a premium membership that costs $25 a year.

Z’Tejas, known for its fresh, flavorful and innovative menu, welcomes a new team member to the Austin staff. Naomi L. Rieger will coordinate banquets and catering under the title of Event Sales Manager.  “Ms. Rieger brings award winning experience in event planning resulting in flawless events for any occasion,” said Nick Rotas, Regional Manager of Z’Tejas.  

Rieger arrives with an extensive background in event designing, planning and logistics.  Having accomplished corporate, social and cultural events from concept to completion, she develops each occasion to produce enthralling results.

Z’Tejas has three locations offering meeting and event facilities; 6th Street, Arboretum and Avery Ranch. The different locations, each with their own personality, offer unique backdrops for everything from an inspiring meeting to a beautiful wedding reception.  

“I am impressed with the team I get to work with delivering memorable experiences for our guests.  Z’Tejas is an Austin tradition that has been around for over twenty years, and I look forward to participating in this excellent team,” said Ms. Rieger.  

“I can’t wait to see Naomi’s inspiring creativity and style combined with our passion for great food at our events.  Bring on the wedding season,” said Nick Rotas.

Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill offers a wide array of fresh, flavorful and innovative menu items inspired by culinary influences from Louisiana, Texas, California and Mexico. Z’Tejas has been providing a great meal, a good time and extraordinary hospitality to its Austin guests for the last 21 years. The restaurants offer a casual experience equipped with lively dining rooms and landscaped patios. For more information and upcoming events/specials please visit ZTejas.com.

As the popularity of hamburgers grows in the Korean restaurant landscape, Johnny Rockets, home of the original hamburger, has announced its expansion into the Korean Market. The all-American fast casual restaurant chain aligned with Shinsegae Food Co. LTD to open its first restaurant in Seoul, Korea’s KangNam Shinsegae Department Store, opening today. The classic restaurant chain is known for its classic decor, dancing employees and a menu featuring made-to-order Hamburgers, Hand-Dipped Shakes and American Fries.

Shinsegae Food Co. LTD is a subsidiary company of Shinsegae Group, owner and operator of department and discount stores throughout Korea.  It is a major provider of food services, materials and distribution, in Korea. Their first 1,067 square-foot Johnny Rockets restaurant, located in a central shopping and transportation venue, employs twenty-nine local residents.  Grand opening festivities include a Signing Ceremony, attended by Shinsegae Foods Inc. CEO, Il-Chae Jung, and Johnny Rockets CEO, John Fuller, among other dignitaries and special guests. Shinsegae Food Co. plans to open five restaurants in Korea during the next five years.

“We are happy to partner with a brand that we consider the best to accommodate Korea’s growing and fast-changing hamburger market,” said Ryan Park, Assistant Manager for Shinsegae Food.  “Johnny Rockets offers something for everyone. In addition to hamburgers, the traditional American menu also features favorites, including several varieties of sandwiches and salads. Over time and with input from our Guests, we may localize our menu for the marketplace. However, from Day One, we are committed to providing the best experience possible for everyone who dines with us.”

According to Johnny Rockets Senior Vice President of International Development, Steve Devine, “Our international expansion strategy during the past 25 years has always been to seek out markets that are receptive to our unique blend of Americana and our all-American flavor profiles. Although the Republic of Korea has long been on our list of highly desirable markets, we understood that, in order to be capable of competing effectively in this marketplace, we would need a development partner that truly understood the Korea culture and business landscape. Shinsegae Food Company is an excellent partner for us in these aspects and it is because we have managed to form this franchise relationship with Shinsegae Food Company that we are now confident that we can effect a successful entry to the Korea market.”

Adds Johnny Rockets President and CEO, John Fuller, “With the rich history of Shinsegae Food Company behind our growth in Korea, Johnny Rockets is extremely confident that we are positioned for great long term success in this market for years to come.”

For more information about Johnny Rockets or their franchising opportunities go to www.johnnyrockets.com.

Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q announces the winner of the Sonny “Floyd” Tillman Award for 2010. The Sonny Tillman Award was established by the Franchisee Cooperative Association (FCA) in honor of Sonny Tillman, the Founder of Sonny’s Bar-B-Q, to promote a high standard for quality and service in every Sonny’s location. The award is given to individuals who work tirelessly to keep this standard alive. Curtis Gardner, Owner/President of Gator-Q Corporation, a licensed franchisee of Sonny’s Bar-B-Q, is the recipient of the 2010 award. Curtis owns the Oxford, AL and Rome, GA Sonny’s locations. Throughout the years, Curtis has served in various leadership roles within the FCA Board of Directors, including Secretary, President and most recently Chair of the Marketing Committee. He is a pillar in the community giving countless hours and dollars to various organizations.

Since its inception in 2001, only three franchisees have received this coveted award; Ted Hires (2001), former franchisee in Jacksonville, now deceased; Ed Tubel (2002), Owner of Tricor, Inc., a current licensed Sonny’s franchisee; and Mike Walker (2006), the only non?franchisee who has received the award.

Floyd “Sonny” Tillman founded Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q in 1968 in Gainesville, Florida. Today, Sonny’s has more than 125 restaurants with over 6,000 team members in nine southeastern states. To view a menu or to learn more about Sonny’s Bar-B-Q, visit www.sonnysbbq.com.

As the top ten T.G.I. Friday’s bartenders prepare for the World Bartender Championship (WBC) Finals on March 14, 2011 in Dallas, Texas, bartenders and fans from across the globe are getting involved and supporting bartending’s bid to be recognized as an Olympic sport.

Brian Zachau, the 2009 T.G.I. Friday’s Greatest Bartender in the World, petitioned the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in November 2010 to request bartending as the next Olympic sport. Bartending is a viable consideration as an Olympic event since it has been in existence for centuries, is practiced on every continent and is represented by the International Bartenders Association in 57 countries.

“Brian, our bartenders and most importantly, the fans, have the power to get bartending officially recognized for the sport it is,” said Trey Hall, chief marketing officer of T.G.I. Friday’s. “Given our deep history and involvement with the sport of bartending through our World Bartender Championship, Friday’s is also behind this movement to make bartending an Olympic event.”

Despite silence from the IOC, and the noticeable omission of bartending from the 2012 Olympic schedule released on February 15, Brian Zachau and other Friday’s bartenders are still encouraging fans to show their support by signing an online petition to the IOC. Fans can also show their encouragement by voting for their favorite bartending finalist or demonstrating their personal athletic bartending skills by uploading videos or photos for a chance to win Friday’s food and drinks for the rest of the year.

2011 marks Friday’s 20th anniversary of the WBC Finals and the crowning of “The 2010 Greatest T.G.I. Friday’s Bartender in the World.” Each year more than 8,000 Friday’s bartenders showcase their knowledge, skill and bartending flair in WBC competitions which originate at the local store level and progress to regional and divisional rounds leading up to the Finals on March 14.

For more news and updates from T.G.I. Friday’s, follow the brand on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/TGIFridays), Twitter @TGIFridays and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/tgifridays).

Domino’s Pizza announced today that, effective March 14, 2011 Mr. Richard (Ritch) Allison will join its leadership team as EVP of International, succeeding Michael T. Lawton, who is now Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Allison, 44, comes to Domino’s after more than 13 years at Bain & Company, Inc.

Bain & Company is a leading global business consulting firm, assisting clients on strategy, operations, mergers and acquisitions, technology and business organization, which is known for generating significant and measurable positive financial results for its clients’ businesses.

As a partner and co-leader of Bain’s restaurant practice, Allison worked with some of the industry’s largest global chains. His work covered strategy and solution development, including market segmentation and growth strategies, marketing and advertising effectiveness measures, menu development and pricing strategy, organizational design, driving operational efficiency and improving supply chain performance. Earlier in his career at Bain, he worked in multiple industries, including grocery retail, specialty services, manufacturing and logistics. In addition to his experience at Bain, Allison worked for BellSouth Corporation in strategic development and online services.

Allison commented on his new post: “I am excited to put my background in business strategy and in the restaurant industry to work for Domino’s. I am looking forward to the opportunity to work for such an iconic consumer brand; and the culture of this company is a perfect fit for me. I hope and plan to make a significant contribution.”

J. Patrick Doyle, President and CEO of Domino’s, said, “Ritch is a perfect addition to the global Domino’s team. I look forward to his applying his broad experience with improving the performance of other major restaurant chains, to the Domino’s global footprint – and helping to make our great international business even better.”

Domino’s Pizza International division comprised 47% of the Company’s retail sales, and had posted 67 consecutive quarters of positive same store sales as of the third quarter 2010, and is one of the largest international enterprises in the restaurant sector.

Allison received his BS in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and later earned an MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School, where he was named a Dean’s scholar and received the Norman Brock Award. Allison, his wife Susan, son Jake and daughter Emily will relocate to Ann Arbor, Michigan near Domino’s World Resource Center.

CEC Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: CEC) today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter ended January 2, 2011. Fourth quarter 2010 comparable store sales on a same calendar week basis (comparing weeks 40 through 52 of fiscal year 2010 to weeks 41 through 53 of fiscal year 2009) increased 3.9%. Total quarterly revenues decreased $4.8 million to $182.8 million during the fourth quarter of 2010 from total quarterly revenues of $187.6 million in the 14-week fourth quarter of 2009. The decrease in total revenues relates to an additional average sales volume operating week in the fourth quarter of 2009 compared to the fourth quarter of 2010, as our 2009 fiscal year consisted of 53 weeks compared to 52 weeks in 2010. As compared to the fourth quarter 2010, we estimate that the additional operating week favorably impacted fourth quarter 2009 revenue by approximately $14 million.

Net income for the fourth quarter ended January 2, 2011 was $2.8 million compared to net income of $5.4 million in the 14-week fourth quarter of 2009. Diluted earnings per share was $0.14 for the fourth quarter of 2010, and was impacted by approximately $0.05 relating to certain unfavorable tax related adjustments recorded during the fourth quarter of 2010. Diluted earnings per share was $0.24 in the fourth quarter of 2009, and we estimate that it benefited from the additional average sales volume week in the prior year by approximately $0.12.

Comparable store sales for the full fiscal year 2010 on a same calendar week basis (comparing weeks 1 through 52 of fiscal year 2010 to weeks 2 through 53 of fiscal year 2009) increased 1.5%. Total revenues for fiscal year 2010 decreased $1.1 million to $817.2 million compared to total revenues of $818.3 million in fiscal 2009. The decrease in total revenues relates to an additional high sales volume operating week in fiscal 2009 compared to fiscal 2010. We estimate that the additional operating week in fiscal year 2009, as compared to fiscal year 2010, favorably impacted fiscal year 2009 revenue by approximately $20 million.

Net income for the full fiscal year 2010 was $54.0 million compared to net income of $61.2 million in fiscal 2009. Diluted earnings per share was $2.55 for fiscal 2010, and was impacted by unfavorable tax related adjustments of approximately $0.17 recorded primarily in the second and fourth quarters of 2010. Diluted earning per share was $2.67 for fiscal 2009, and we estimate that the additional high sales volume operating week favorably impacted fiscal year 2009 diluted earnings per share by approximately $0.17. Diluted earnings per share in 2010 was also impacted by the Company’s repurchase of approximately 4.0 million shares of its common stock since the beginning of the first quarter of 2009.

Additionally, on February 22, 2011, the Company’s Board of Directors approved the initiation of a quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share. The dividend announced today represents an annual cash dividend rate of $0.80 per share. Due to the timing of the Board’s decision, dividends paid during the 2011 fiscal year are expected to be $0.60 per share. The Company’s first quarterly dividend of $0.20 per share will be paid on April 21, 2011 to shareholders of record on March 24, 2011. While the declaration of future dividends are subject to the final determination and approval of our Board, we currently intend to pay regular quarterly dividends for the foreseeable future.

Michael Magusiak, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated that, “Our fourth quarter same calendar week comparable store sales increase of 3.9% reflects the strength of our brand and quality implementation of our strategies. During fiscal 2010, we generated approximately $157 million of cash flow from operations. We utilized this strong cash flow to add 12 new Company stores and enhance 223 stores in the form of store expansions, major remodels and game enhancements. Additionally, during this same time period we once again confirmed our long-term commitment to our stock repurchase plan buying back 2.2 million shares, which represented approximately 10% of diluted shares outstanding at year-end. Given our confidence in our ability to continue to generate strong cash flow in the future, we believe it is appropriate to not only return capital to our shareholders through share repurchases, but also to return cash to our shareholders through cash dividends. Our Board of Directors recently approved the initiation of a quarterly dividend of $0.20 per share, or $0.80 per share on an annual basis.”

Mr. Magusiak also stated, “We anticipate that our cash flow from operations this year will exceed capital expenditures and dividend payments by $50 to $60 million. We intend to continue to return this capital to shareholders with our share repurchase plan on an opportunistic basis.”

Business Outlook:

Based on its current estimates, the Company is projecting fiscal year 2011 diluted earnings per share to be in a range of $2.95 to $3.05. This guidance incorporates the following assumptions for the 2011 fiscal year:

• comparable store sales up 1.0% to 2.0%;
• six additional Company-owned stores, including three relocations;
• average cheddar block prices in a range of $1.60 to $1.80 per pound;
• combined depreciation and rent expense will each grow approximately 6% from prior year;
• advertising expense as a percentage of total revenues will decrease approximately 0.1 percentage points;
• effective tax rate of approximately 38.7%;
• capital expenditures will range from $94.0 million to $95.0 million, impacting approximately 200 stores and the addition of approximately six Company-owned stores; and
• intent to repurchase Company common stock on an opportunistic basis.

Fourth Quarter 2010 Conference Call:

The Company will host a conference call Thursday, February 24, 2011, at 3:30 p.m. Central Time to discuss its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2010 financial results and outlook for fiscal year 2011. A live webcast of the call (listen only) can be accessed through the Company’s website, www.chuckecheese.com. Shortly after its conclusion, a replay of the call will be available on the website through Friday, March 25, 2011.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures:

The Company reports and discusses its operating results using financial measures consistent with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). From time to time in the course of financial presentations, earnings conference calls or otherwise, the Company may disclose certain non-GAAP financial measures such as Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (“EBITDA”) and Free Cash Flow. The non-GAAP financial measures presented in this earnings release should not be viewed as alternatives or substitutes for the Company’s reported GAAP results. A reconciliation of the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure to EBITDA and Free Cash Flow is set forth in a table accompanying this release.

About CEC Entertainment, Inc.:

For more than 30 years, CEC Entertainment has served as the nationally recognized leader in family dining and entertainment and the place Where a Kid can be a Kid®. The Company and its franchisees operate a system of 553 Chuck E. Cheese’s stores located in 48 states and seven foreign countries or territories. Currently, 507 locations in the United States and Canada are owned and operated by the Company. CEC Entertainment, Inc. and its franchises have the common goal of creating lifelong memories for families through fun, food and play. Each Chuck E. Cheese’s features musical and comic robotic entertainment, games, rides and play areas as well as a variety of dining options including pizza, sandwiches, a salad bar and desserts. Committed to providing a fun, safe environment, Chuck E. Cheese’s helps protect families through industry-leading programs such as Kid Check®.

Chuck E. Cheese’s aims to promote positive, lifelong memories inside and outside of its stores. In addition to providing a fun entertainment experience for millions of families across the world, Chuck E. Cheese’s has donated more than $6 million to schools and non-profit institutions through its fundraising programs. For more information, see the company’s website at www.chuckecheese.com.

Morton’s Restaurant Group, Inc. (NYSE: MRT) today reported unaudited financial results for its fiscal 2010 fourth quarter ended January 2, 2011.

Financial results for the three month period ended January 2, 2011 compared to the three month period ended January 3, 2010

• Revenues increased 6.2% to $84.1 million from $79.2 million.
• Comparable restaurant revenues for Morton’s steakhouses increased 5.3%.
• Adjusted net income from continuing operations was $5.4 million, or $0.31 per diluted share, for the three month period ended January 2, 2011 compared to adjusted net income from continuing operations of $4.0 million, or $0.25 per diluted share, for the three month period ended January 3, 2010. Refer to the reconciliation of adjusted net income from continuing operations to GAAP net income (loss) from continuing operations in the tables that follow.
• The three month period ended January 2, 2011 included a $114,000 charge after-tax, or $0.01 per diluted share, for the write-off of deferred financing fees related to our previously outstanding senior revolving credit facility that was repaid in connection with our entering into a new five year senior credit facility on December 9, 2010. The three month period ended January 3, 2010 included charges for unusual items totaling $70.8 million after-tax, or $4.43 per diluted share, primarily consisting of a charge related to establishing a full valuation allowance against our U.S. deferred tax assets and a non-cash impairment charge related to our intangible asset and certain long-lived assets, among others. Refer to the reconciliation of adjusted net income from continuing operations to GAAP net income (loss) from continuing operations in the tables that follow for additional details.
• GAAP net income from continuing operations was $5.3 million, or $0.30 per diluted share, for the three month period ended January 2, 2011 compared to a net loss from continuing operations of $(66.9) million, or $(4.21) per diluted share, for the three month period ended January 3, 2010.

Financial results for the twelve month period ended January 2, 2011 compared to the twelve month period ended January 3, 2010

• Revenues increased 5.3% to $296.1 million from $281.1 million.
• Comparable restaurant revenues for Morton’s steakhouses increased 4.8%.
• Adjusted net income from continuing operations was $5.3 million, or $0.30 per diluted share, for the twelve month period ended January 2, 2011 compared to adjusted net income from continuing operations of $1.6 million, or $0.10 per diluted share, for the twelve month period ended January 3, 2010. Refer to the reconciliation of adjusted net income from continuing operations to GAAP net income (loss) from continuing operations in the tables that follow.
• The twelve month period ended January 2, 2011 included charges for unusual items totaling $0.7 million after-tax, or $0.04 per diluted share, for the final mark-to-market adjustment related to the fair value of the preferred stock that was issued in February 2010 as part of the fiscal 2009 settlement of certain wage and hour claims and the write-off of deferred financing fees related to our previously outstanding senior revolving credit facility that was repaid in connection with our entering into a new five year senior credit facility on December 9, 2010. The twelve month period ended January 3, 2010 included charges for unusual items totaling $79.1 million after-tax, or $4.93 per diluted share, primarily consisting of a charge related to establishing a full valuation allowance against our U.S. deferred tax assets and a non-cash impairment charge related to our intangible asset and certain long-lived assets, among others. Refer to the reconciliation of adjusted net income from continuing operations to GAAP net income (loss) from continuing operations in the tables that follow for additional details.
• GAAP net income from continuing operations was $4.6 million, or $0.27 per diluted share, for the twelve month period ended January 2, 2011 compared to a net loss from continuing operations of $(77.5) million, or $(4.87) per diluted share, for the twelve month period ended January 3, 2010.

“We remain proud of our Morton’s brand and our 32 year reputation for serving the ‘Best Steak Anywhere.’ Business travel and convention attendance improved in 2010 in many of our markets, creating a positive effect on our core business. As a result, our comparable restaurant sales were positive throughout all of 2010, including a successful holiday season and healthy comparable restaurant revenue growth in our private dining boardrooms.

Today, we offer our guests more ways than ever before to enjoy the Morton’s Gold Standard experience, whether it’s in our Bar 12?21 with the popular Bar Bites menu and specialty cocktails, a traditional Morton’s experience in our main dining room, or even an event in our private dining boardrooms. Morton’s Prime Events series continues to feature even more exciting wine and spirits pairings, while introducing new guests to our restaurants. We are now the Official Steakhouse of the PGA TOUR, which is yet another example of how we’re maximizing our marketing efforts to increase revenue and build our Morton’s brand worldwide.

We recently opened our first Morton’s steakhouse in Mainland China, in Shanghai, and opened our new location in Uptown Dallas on February 24, 2011. With our new five year credit facility, which we believe increases our financial flexibility, we are well positioned to continue to expand the Morton’s brand both domestically and internationally,” said Christopher J. Artinian, President and Chief Executive Officer of Morton’s Restaurant Group, Inc.

Fiscal 2011 Financial Guidance

Actual results could differ materially from the guidance provided herein as a result of numerous factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s control and are highly dependent upon overall economic conditions. Please refer to the “Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements” later in this press release in conjunction with this guidance. The current economic environment significantly increases the inherent uncertainty of guidance.

The Company currently expects the following financial results for the first fiscal quarter of 2011:

• Revenues to range between $81 million and $83 million;
• Comparable restaurant revenues to increase approximately 6% to 8% as compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2010;
• Diluted net income per share from continuing operations of approximately $0.13 to $0.15; and
• An effective tax rate that is not expected to exceed 24%.

The Company currently expects the following financial results for the full year fiscal 2011:

• Revenues to range between $318 million and $323 million;
• Comparable restaurant revenues to increase approximately 6% to 8% as compared to the full year fiscal 2010;
• Diluted net income per share from continuing operations of approximately $0.44 to $0.49; and
• An expected effective tax rate that is not expected to exceed 24%.

Development Activity

During fiscal year 2011, the Company will retrofit up to four Morton’s steakhouses to include a Bar 12?21, two of which opened in the first quarter of fiscal 2011. In addition, we opened a new Morton’s steakhouse on February 24, 2011 in the Uptown area of Dallas, TX, which also includes a Bar 12?21.

About the Company

Morton’s Restaurant Group, Inc. is the world’s largest operator of company-owned upscale steakhouses. Morton’s steakhouses have remained true to our founders’ original vision of combining generous portions of high quality food prepared to exacting standards with exceptional service in an enjoyable dining environment. As of February 24, 2011, the Company owned and operated 77 Morton’s steakhouses located in 64 cities across 26 states, Puerto Rico and six international locations (Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, Mexico City, Singapore and Toronto), as well as Trevi, our Italian restaurant, which is located next to the ‘Fountain of the Gods’ at The Forum Shops at Caesars in Las Vegas, NV. Please visit our Morton’s website at www.mortons.com.