El Pollo Loco, Inc. announced today that it has retained the services of SelectResources International (SRI), a nationally acclaimed consulting firm specializing in agency search and relationship management, to conduct an advertising agency review on its behalf. The new assignment will cover strategic marketing and communication needs for the nation’s leading flame-grilled chicken chain, including English- and Spanish-language creative (broadcast and digital), in-restaurant merchandising, and local restaurant marketing. The review will focus on advertising agencies with established offices in Southern California and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2011. Interested agencies are invited to contact SelectResources International at 310.450.5777.

El Pollo Loco’s two incumbent advertising agencies, Krueger Communications, which handles general audience advertising, and cruz/kravetz:IDEAS, which oversees Hispanic advertising, will be invited to participate in the review. The company’s media investment in 2010 is in the $15-20 million range encompassing both general market and Hispanic media. El Pollo Loco also works with ID Media, the nation’s largest direct response media services company. This work is not in review at this time.

Commenting on the search, Mark Hardison, Vice President of Marketing for El Pollo Loco, Inc. said, “We are looking to partner with a single advertising agency in a strategic, total market approach that effectively captures and integrates all aspects of brand communication.”

Headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, El Pollo Loco, Inc. currently operates more than 400 restaurants located primarily in California, with additional restaurants in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Virginia. El Pollo Loco’s menu features its signature citrus-marinated, flame-grilled chicken in individual and family-size meals served with warm tortillas, freshly prepared salsas and an assortment of sides. El Pollo Loco also serves a variety of Mexican-inspired entrees featuring the chain’s citrus-marinated, flame-grilled chicken and carne asada, including Pollo Bowl entrees, pollo salads, grilled burritos, tacos, quesadillas and more. For more information, visit www.elpolloloco.com.

CKE Restaurants, Inc., parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurants, announced the start of “The Key to Black Beauty” instant-win game and sweepstakes. The promotion, part of a marketing partnership announced earlier this year with Sony Pictures around the January 14, 2011 release of the 3D action movie The Green Hornet, will give one lucky action-seeker the opportunity to win a fully-loaded Black Beauty car from the film. A variety of other prizes, including Southwest Airlines Vacation packages, limited-edition The Green Hornet PSPgo Systems, Sony home-theater system, Sony Electronics, movie tickets to see The Green Hornet, Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s gift cards and food prizes will also be available.

“The Green Hornet sweepstakes at all Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurants offers a grand prize that is truly one of a kind,” said Brad Haley, executive vice president of marketing for CKE Restaurants. “The Black Beauty car is really one of the stars of the film, and now one lucky guest will be its owner. Whether you are a fan of The Green Hornet, a vintage car buff, or just want to take it out for a spin to your local Carl’s Jr. or Hardee’s, this is a unique opportunity to own a piece of Hollywood history. Of course, we will be giving the winner the option to get the Black Beauty either in its fully weaponized mode, with non-functional machine guns and rocket launchers, or in its street-legal mode with no visible weapons. Either way, it’s a sweet ride.”

Guests at Carl’s Jr. or Hardee’s restaurants can purchase a limited-edition 42-ounce The Green Hornet collectors’ cup co-sponsored by Dr Pepper. The cup includes a unique code that guests can enter when they register for the promotion at the Carl’s Jr. or Hardee’s Facebook pages (www.facebook.com/carlsjr or www.facebook.com/hardees). The grand prize winner has the option to choose a Black Beauty complete with non-operational prop machine guns, rocket launchers and other faux-weaponry used in the movie, but that one’s not street legal – or a Black Beauty without the weaponry, which the winner can roam the open road.

The Black Beauty is based on the Chrysler Imperial Crown body style, which was produced in 1964, 1965, and 1966, souped up with a brand-new supercharged engine and top-of-the-line, stunt-ready accessories. The prop weaponry on the non-street-legal Black Beauty comes complete with hood guns and front and rear bumper rockets.

No purchase is necessary to enter, play or claim a prize in “The Key to Black Beauty” promotion. As an alternative to the in-store promotion, consumers can visit the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s Facebook pages and obtain a complimentary game code found in the official rules. Details and official rules surrounding the promotion can be found on the Facebook pages as well. Licensing and registration qualification for the Black Beauty will be subject to state and local law.

More details about the extensive partnership, including the explosive television advertising campaign that will air later this month, can be found on Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s Facebook pages and Twitter feeds (www.twitter.com/carlsjr and www.twitter.com/hardees).

Chuck E. Cheese’s is giving families a free way to get the kids involved in the spirit of Thanksgiving as well as provide dinner guests with a personalized gift they are sure to treasure for a lifetime. Through Chuck E. Cheese’s free, online “Thank You” cards, families can have their children create personalized cards describing why they are thankful to have each guest or family member in their lives. Not only can children have fun coloring and filling out each guest’s card, but they get to experience what Thanksgiving is really about as well as reflect on the true value of family and friends.

Guests can use the personalized “Thank You” cards as placeholders at the dinner table or as a parting gift for guests to enjoy on their way home. Creating the cards is quick, easy and, like all Chuck E. Cheese’s activities, is something the whole family can enjoy.

How to Create Personalized “Thank You” Cards from Chuck E. Cheese’s:

Step 1 – Using any Internet browser, go to http://static.contserv.us/static/chuckecheese/300125679/card.pdf?link=image and print out a card for each guest. You will need a compatible PDF reader.

Step 2 – Have your children personalize the cards with the guests’ names as well as why they are thankful to have them in their lives.

Step 3 – Let the kids have fun personalizing the cards even more! You can make it an arts and crafts activity by incorporating all kinds of coloring utensils as well as glitter, stamps and rhinestones to let your children’s unique personalities really come through.

Step 4 – When they’re finished, let them dry out, and give any of the cards with glitter or sprinkles a good shake over the trash can to make sure nothing comes off on the dinner table. Then, decide the best way to surprise all of your Thanksgiving guests with the cards. You can set them on the table as placeholders, have the kids present them to guests as they are entering/leaving or have the kids read each card aloud to the dinner guests. The possibilities are endless.

Following these quick and easy steps, families across America can help their children understand the true meaning of Thanksgiving while also showing their love and appreciation for their family and friends. As a national leader in family entertainment for more than 30 years, Chuck E. Cheese’s believes in creating these positive, lifelong memories for families inside and outside of all of its locations.

Guests can find more great party ideas on Chuck E. Cheese’s website at http://www.chuckecheese.com, on the company’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/officialchuckecheese and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/chuckecheese.

Benihana Inc. (NASDAQ: BNHNA; BNHN), the nation’s leading operator of Japanese theme and sushi restaurants, invites guests to celebrate with friends and family around the teppanyaki table this holiday season. Benihana now offers several holiday promotions including its “Be The Chef” package and a gift card promotion that will allow guests to further enjoy an authentic and unique dining experience.

For a limited time this holiday season, Benihana is offering restaurant guests the perfect holiday gift and opportunity to become a Benihana chef for the day and learn the art of teppanyaki cooking on the hibachi grill. Benihana’s “Be The Chef” package will give a friend or family member the chance to experience Benihana firsthand with a private lesson in teppanyaki cooking from a master Benihana chef and then cook a 5-course meal for family and friends.

The “Be The Chef” package includes a one-on-one training session with a Benihana chef to learn how to cook teppanyaki style on the hibachi grill; a full Benihana teppanyaki performance by the gift recipient to entertain friends and family; a masterpiece meal created to enjoy with three additional guests; an official Certificate of Completion certifying the gift recipient as a Teppanyaki Master; and a complimentary souvenir photo of the performance that can be downloaded and shared with additional friends and family.

Included in the package is Benihana’s “Splash ‘n Meadow” dinner which features hibachi steak and shrimp, vegetable fried rice, onion soup, salad, hibachi vegetables, homemade dipping sauces, Haagen-Dazs ice cream and Japanese hot green tea. On sale at participating locations through the holidays, the “Be The Chef” package for four people is $140. Additional guests can be added for only $35 per person, and Benihana is offering a special price of $250 for eight guests.

Also for the holidays, Benihana offers gift cards that allow family and friends to get together in the perfect atmosphere for a gathering or special event. For every $50 spent on Benihana gift cards, purchasers will receive an additional $10 promotional card to be used January 2, 2011 through March 31, 2011. In addition, restaurant guests can celebrate the holidays at Benihana, as all restaurant locations are open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

“This holiday season, you can give a unique gift to a friend or family member that can be enjoyed by everyone,” said Richard C. Stockinger, chairman, chief executive officer and president of Benihana. “Celebrate the holidays with one of our many festive offers and share an unforgettable dining experience with your loved ones.”

For more information about Benihana, visit www.benihana.com.

Panera Bread Company (NASDAQ: PNRA) today completed the nationwide rollout of its new customer loyalty program, named MyPanera. The program has been in development and test for 18 months and has been extremely well received to date. 

Designed to be closely aligned with Panera’s core values and mission of delivering a unique experience to its guests, the intent of the ‘Surprise and Delight’ loyalty program is to connect more deeply with Panera’s customers by delivering unexpected and highly-relevant rewards for dining at Panera Bread bakery-cafes. 

MyPanera will offer loyalty program members exclusive invitations, experiential opportunities like baking with Panera bakers, preview tastings of new menu items, as well as recipes, cooking tips and surprises such as a free bakery-cafe menu item. The program becomes increasingly personalized as a member frequents Panera and spends more time in the program.

“MyPanera is a loyalty program done the Panera way. Our brand has always demonstrated value to be far more than price. So unlike the typical buy 10 get one free type loyalty programs, MyPanera is focused on fostering unique relationships with our customers through deeply understanding how each guest enjoys and interacts with Panera today, and new ways they might like to in the future,” said Bill Moreton, Panera Bread CEO and president. 

To date the program has shown to have a meaningful impact on frequency of visit, and rolls out nationally with over two million customers already participating. 

Moreton concluded, “We have been very deliberate over the years in getting to know our customers, which has allowed us to create a highly personalized loyalty program. Panera customers are so connected to the company’s brand promise and values that they expect us to deliver something different, better. We are confident the MyPanera program will be seen as quintessential Panera in the eyes of our loyal customers and be regarded among the restaurant and retail industry’s best.”

Customers can pick up a MyPanera card at any bakery-cafe and register via www.MyPanera.com or by completing and submitting a form in the bakery-cafe.

Great American Cookies today announced the introduction of a new online video contest celebrating exceptional customer service experiences at the company’s nearly 300 locations across the country.  The Wow! Share the Fun video contest is open to both Great American Cookies customers and employees and continues through March 31, 2011.

During the contest period, participants can visit www.GreatAmericanCookies.com and upload a short video (less than three minutes in length) recounting their Wow! customer service experience. Visitors to the website will be able to vote for their favorite entries throughout the contest.

To reward entrants for their creativity and passion for the brand, Great American Cookies will award one lucky winner each month throughout the contest a $150 American Express gift card. At the end of the contest, one of these monthly winners will receive $1,000 American Express gift card.

“Providing top-notch customer service is a hallmark of the Great American Cookies brand and is just one of the ways that we share the fun of cookies,” said Jenn Johnston, chief marketing and operations officer for GFG Management, LLC. “We created this contest to not only recognize our outstanding owners and their employees, but also encourage and reward our customers for letting us know about experiences in our stores that ‘wowed’ them.”

Additional contest entry rules and details can be found at www.GreatAmericanCookies.com and the brand’s Facebook fan page (www.facebook.com/greatamericancookies).  Customers can also stay up to date on all of Great American Cookies’ new products and promotions by following the brand on Twitter (www.twitter.com/Gr8AmCookies) or by joining Great American Cookies’ e-mail fan club (CookiE-mail).

Gift cards and certificates offer an easy and appropriate gift for almost anyone. These cards allow for the recipient to choose an item that they like the most, preventing the accumulation of gifts that the recipient doesn’t need or enjoy.

Gift cards have become more appropriate for giving to immediate family members or spouses in recent years. This is especially true of restaurant gift cards. Giving a gift card to a specific restaurant shows that the giver knows the recipient well enough to pick their favorite cuisine, while cards for restaurant chains work for co-workers or distant relatives you don’t know as well.

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Today, Fuddruckers announced its 2010 holiday gift card program, which includes three whimsical new designs and a $5 gift card bonus for every $25 worth of new and current gift cards purchased in participating Fuddruckers restaurants. Fuddruckers $5 dollar gift card offer is valid now through December 31, 2010 at participating restaurants, and the $5 bonus cards will be redeemable at participating restaurants from January 1, 2011 through February 28, 2011.

New holiday gift cards feature Fuddruckers famous market fresh produce fashioned as a Christmas tree, Fuddruckers creamy hand-made strawberry milkshake with a snowman on top, and Fuddruckers World’s Greatest Hamburger under a sprig of mistletoe. All three designs are now available in restaurants and will be available online this week.

Guests can visit Facebook.com to join the Fuddruckers conversation and to vote for their favorite new Fuddruckers holiday gift card design. To join Fudds eClub for the latest news and perks and to learn more about Fuddruckers, visit Fuddruckers.com.

Fantasy Football owners enter Week 10 of the NFL season with emotions ranging from manic to panic, many trying to answer the question: what moves will help me make the playoffs? Papa John’s announced a move of its own today, “acquiring” six-time NFL All-Pro tight end Antonio Gates as the official spokesperson for its “Fantasy to Reality” contest, which so far has surfaced two of five finalists who will compete for bragging rights as the fantasy football league that’s “better than the rest,” and a trip to the 2011 NFL Draft in New York City.

As the competition heats up to fill the three remaining finalists spots, Gates, one of the NFL’s and fantasy football’s perennial best performers, encouraged fantasy footballers to visit www.papajohns.com or Papa John’s Facebook page to participate.

“Most fantasy football team owners I meet think their league is the best, and now they have a chance to prove it,” Gates said. “Roster management – drop/adds, waiver wire transactions and trades – is especially important – and stressful – at this point of the season. Papa John’s search for the fantasy football league that’s better than the rest is a fun competition to take the edge off, and provides even owners who are in the basement a chance to have a fantasy win.”

Today, two fantasy leagues are one step closer to reality and the 2011 NFL Draft. Brent Johnson of Atlanta, Ga. and his league “Excessive Celebration” along with Hunt Meacham of Charlotte, N.C. and his league “The Dude Abides,” received the nod as contenders for the title of the fantasy football league that’s “better than the rest.” Over the next few weeks, three additional leagues will be announced as finalists as registration continues in Papa John’s Fantasy to Reality contest.

Gates is applying his knowledge of the game and fantasy football to the contest, collaborating to develop exchangeable badges that will bring fantasy football competitive banter to Facebook. Gate’s six pack of badges – “Better Smack Talk,” “Over-Thinker Stinker,” “Waiver Wire Wonder,” “Whiner of the Week,” “Monday Night Miracle,” and “All the Right Moves” – will be available at Papa John’s Facebook page beginning today.

The Official Pizza Sponsor of the NFL, Papa John’s search for the fantasy football league that’s better than the rest is considering a mix of fun and serious ingredients that go into forming and sustaining a great league, such as: year established, original owners still participating, location of draft party, food served at league events, league name, quality of trophy, scoring system, and more.

Fantasy footballers can continue to register for the contest by filling out a short questionnaire at www.papajohns.com or at Papa John’s Facebook page. Three additional finalists, for a total of five, will be announced in coming weeks at papajohns.com and Papa John’s Facebook page. From December 1 through 12, an expert panel led by Gates will review each of the finalists while America casts its vote at Papa John’s Facebook page. The winner will be announced the week of December 13, just in time for fantasy football playoffs.

“Antonio certainly provides an All-Pro enhancement to our search for the fantasy football league that’s better than the rest, and we’re thrilled to have him on our team, said Andrew Varga, Papa John’s chief marketing officer. “With Antonio tied for the NFL lead in touchdown catches, I just wish I had him on one of my fantasy football teams.”

Papa John’s is in the first year of a multi-year sponsorship with the NFL and is also the Official Pizza of the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans and Washington Redskins.

Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) is the world’s third largest pizza company. For 10 of the past 11 years, consumers have rated Papa John’s No. 1 in customer satisfaction among all national pizza chains in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Papa John’s also was honored by Restaurants & Institutions Magazine (R&I) with the 2009 Gold Award for Consumers’ Choice in Chains in the pizza segment. Papa John’s is the Official Pizza Sponsor of the National Football League and Super Bowl XLV, XLVI and XLVII. For more information about the company or to order pizza online, visit Papa John’s at www.papajohns.com.

© 2010 NFL Properties LLC. Team names/logos/indicia are trademarks of the teams indicated. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League.

McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants [Nasdaq: MSSR] today unveiled “Specials” for guests who “check in” to any of its restaurant locations nationwide using the popular location-based mobile application, Foursquare. The Special enables every guest that checks in on Foursquare at a McCormick & Schmick’s during Happy Hour to receive a free bar food menu item with any beverage purchase (excluding cheeseburger). In addition, the Mayor of each restaurant location, a title awarded to the guest with the most days checked in over the last 60 days*, will receive one complimentary dinner entrée with the purchase of another entrée.

“We have always considered our bars an entry point for consumers wanting to try the McCormick & Schmick’s experience,” said Bill Freeman, CEO of McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants. “We are continually striving to broaden our guest base to include a younger demographic. Location-based mobile applications like Foursquare are on trend with their lifestyle, and we felt that providing a great Happy Hour offer through Foursquare could further connect this audience to our brand.”

McCormick & Schmick’s restaurants have become well known across the country for their lively bar atmosphere, commitment to fresh cocktails and quality culinary offerings in the bar at a great value. The robust Happy Hour bar food menu includes items starting at $1.95. While exact Happy Hour offerings and hours vary by location and often change daily like the lunch and dinner menus at McCormick & Schmick’s, Happy Hour menu items may include dishes such as spicy chicken wings, quesadillas and sliders to fish tacos, steamed mussels and spicy tuna rolls. Each McCormick & Schmick’s location publishes their Happy Hour menu daily on their website at www.McCormickandSchmicks.com/Menus.

This national Foursquare Special roll-out marks the latest in a series of efforts by McCormick & Schmick’s to listen to and engage with its growing customer base across various social media platforms. McCormick & Schmick’s can be found on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/McCormickandSchmicks and on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/McandSchmicks. To encourage sharing of Foursquare check in activity across guests’ social networks, the restaurant company will be randomly awarding $20 dining certificates to up to five individuals per month who share their check in on Twitter.

For more information about McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants’ new Foursquare offering, and to find a complete list of locations, please visit www.McCormickandSchmicks.com/Foursquare.

Live on stage in Las Vegas at Church’s Chicken convention for its franchisees and company team members was Ben Backus from Ruston, LA performing his top prize-winning song about Church’s Spicier Spicy Chicken. Ben’s song title is “Chicken Genius” and is already available on iTunes. Ben won $3,000 and a year’s supply of Church’s Chicken for his cutting edge video and song.

Ben Backus, 22 years old, a student at Louisiana Tech University majoring in business administration is a singer songwriter in a local band called Heavens to Betsy. He wrote the Chicken Genius song and produced the video along with his longtime friend Ben Butwell, 26 years old who is a videographer.

Jedidiah Brown, 17 years old, and YouTube phenomenon was the inspiration for the contest after he made a home video and sang a song in his own words about Church’s Chicken. Jedidiah’s fried chicken song has had more than 2 million views. He also performed at Church’s convention and brought the house down with his popular video song and his brand new original song “Chicken & Fries.”

“Competition for Church’s Spicier Spicy Chicken Song Contest was fierce. There were so many talented people who submitted some very cool and creative videos,” said Bonnie Warschauer, VP of Communications, Church’s Chicken. “It was extremely difficult to choose the winners. And based on the votes entered by consumers, it was hard for them too. The final voting was very close.”

Consumers along with a team of Church’s Chicken staff voted first for the top six and then narrowed the finalists down to the top three video songs.

The video song that came in second place “No Spice, No Dice” was a collaboration of three friends. Michael Stettes, 26 years old, works for the Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C. as a writer and editor. Stettes is the creator of the song. Ben Stahl, 25 years old, along with Michael recorded the music. Ben is a high school music teacher. Bob Rose, 29 years old, shot and edited the video. He is an independent videographer and film editor. They all reside in Maryland. They split the 2^nd place prize money of $1,500 for their efforts.

Sebastian Castro from San Antonio, Texas came in third with his “Getting Out of Work Early to Feed the Spicy Cravings” video song. He won $500. Sebastian wrote the song and directed the video. The song was performed by Kurt Mouton also of San Antonio, Texas. Castro heads up a multimedia company that includes video production and web design and development.

From the tallest dog to the largest cheesecake, SONIC, America’s Drive-in is sharing some of the world’s craziest record-breaking feats this November with its consumers.  In partnership with Creative Consumer Concepts and Guinness World Records, SONIC is launching the SONIC Edition: Guinness World Records book collection as part of a Wacky Pack Kids’ Meal.

The collection includes four books: Wacky Records, Transportation and Travel, Amazing Animals and Sports. The books are not only fun and share crazy accomplishments; they promote literacy and parent-child interaction.

“SONIC’s Wacky Packs stand out because they are educational and encourage a special time for parents and children to interact and share knowledge,” said Danielle Vona, chief marketing officer for SONIC. “The SONIC Edition: Guinness World Records collection shares some amazing facts and record-breaking achievements that will be of interest to both kids and adults.”

The new campaign, which is timed in conjunction with Guinness World Records Day, a celebration which includes global simultaneous record breaking on November 18, 2010, focuses on educating consumers with fun and wacky achievements.

“As the authority on record-breaking achievement, Guinness World Records is about showcasing amazing feats and facts from around the globe,” said Jennifer Gilmour, licensing manager-North America for Guinness World Records. “But we take pride in highlighting the ordinary everyday people who do extraordinary exceptional feats each day!”

SONIC’s Wacky Pack Kids’ Meals offer balanced menu alternatives for children including Apple Slices with fat-free caramel dipping sauce, Fresh Bananas and 1% lowfat regular or chocolate Milk.  These menu items are the perfect side dish and drink to accompany an entrée such as all white meat chicken strips or a corn dog.  Each kids’ meal comes complete with a Guinness World Records book.   SONIC Edition: Guinness World Records books are available throughout November, while supplies last and at participating SONIC Drive-Ins.  Parents and children can log on to www.mywackypack.com for engaging games online.
 
SONIC, America’s Drive-In (NASDAQ/NM: SONC) started as a hamburger and root beer stand in 1953 in Shawnee, Okla., called Top Hat Drive-In, and then changed its name to SONIC in 1959. The first drive-in to adopt the SONIC name is still serving customers in Stillwater, Okla. As the nation’s largest chain of drive-in restaurants, SONIC has more than 3,500 drive-ins in 43 states coast to coast. Approximately 3 million customers eat at SONIC every day; and with more drink combinations than any other quick-service restaurant – more than 168,000 – SONIC is Your Ultimate Drink Stop®. For more information about Sonic Corp. and its subsidiaries, visit SONIC at www.sonicdrivein.com. Through Limeades for Learning?, SONIC and its franchise partners have donated more than $1.3 million dollars to public school classrooms in local communities across the country. Visit www.limeadesforlearning.com to learn more about SONIC’s commitment to education.

It doesn’t cost much to give royally this holiday season. Those who savor the steam-grilled-on-a-bed-of-onions scent of America’s first fast-food hamburger can visit White Castle for a host of imaginative gifts at wallet-friendly prices. White Castle’s Original Slider-scented candles, coffee gifts, gift cards, and t-shirts are just a few of the coveted items available at HouseofCrave.com, White Castle’s online emporium for all things “Crave.”

Traditionally, stocking stuffers are small toys, candy, fruit, or other trinkets. White Castle gift cards, mugs, and other items for $15 or less are ideal for any Craver to have in their Christmas stocking.  

“Our House of Crave online store has a variety of fun and festive White Castle items that are great for small gifts or stocking stuffers,” said Jamie Richardson, vice president of corporate relations. “Those who want to give a gift and support a great cause can pick up our scent-sational Original Slider-scented candles. Other popular items include White Castle drink ware, t-shirts, and of course White Castle gift cards—the gift that keeps on giving beyond the holiday season.”  

White Castle “Craver” stocking stuffers for $15 or less (plus shipping and handling) include:

• Original Slider-scented candle, $13 (net proceeds benefit Autism Speaks)
• A variety of T-shirts, $15
• Ceramic coffee cup with lid, $9.99
• Mouse pad, $9.50
• Drawstring bag, $13.50
• Acrylic tumbler with straw, $8.99
• White Castle coffee (13 oz.), $4.99
• Gift cards in any denomination

Since most items are available online, shoppers don’t have to fight the cold and the crowds to buy a gift for the ultimate Craver on their list. They can simply shop from the comforts of home.

“Everyone has that unexpected holiday guest or a last-minute secret Santa exchange,” Richardson added. “White Castle’s collection of holiday gift ideas are fun and distinctive and, at under $15, they won’t bust your holiday budget.”

All gift and stocking ideas are available at White Castle’s online store, House of Crave at www.HouseofCrave.com. Customers who purchase gift cards at their local White Castle restaurant have an option to add on a special holiday mug (prices vary depending on the region).

The Los Angeles Lakers and Wingstop, the chicken wing chain that has sold over 2 Billion wings, announced a sponsorship today in which Wingstop will be the Official Wings Of The Los Angeles Lakers.

The three-year agreement gives Wingstop name and logo rights for use in advertising materials, placement on the Lakers website, and promotional display mentions on the STAPLES Center LED signage during all Lakers regular season home games.

A specially designed Wingstop-Los Angeles Lakers logo will be featured on bags, cups and in-store materials in more than 50 Wingstop locations throughout Southern California including Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino and Orange Counties.

The sponsorship will be supported with live and produced spots in English and Spanish on KSPN-AM, KWKW-AM and a new television spot to air on Fox Sports, KCAL-TV, KTLA-TV among others.

In addition, Wingstop will introduce a season-long promotion that encourages all fans to sign up to receive mobile coupons from Wingstop. With every Lakers victory on the road, subscribers will receive a special offer at participating locations.

“Wingstop and the Lakers have some of the most dedicated and loyal fans in Southern California and we are excited about the opportunity to bring those fans together,” said Danny Sonenshine, president of the Wingstop Southern California Advertising Association. “We think it’s the perfect partnership.”

“We are pleased to announce our new relationship with Wingstop as we begin an exciting season defending our title,” said Tim Harris, Sr. Vice President, Business Operations, Chief Marketing Officer, of the Los Angeles Lakers.  “The Wingstop brand is a great fit with the Lakers organization and we are pleased to have them join our team. We look forward to working with them in the seasons to come.”

Wingstop opened its first Los Angeles location in 2002 and has grown to more than 50 stores in the Southern California area and 100 stores in the state.

The company, which is based in Richardson, Texas, has a strong history with professional sports. Wingstop was named the Official Wings of the Dallas Cowboys and the Preferred Wings of the Houston Texans in 2009. Former Hall of Fame quarterback and current Fox sportscaster Troy Aikman has been the company’s spokesman since 2003.

Olive Garden is seeking to capture students’ future aspirations and plans to achieve their goals as part of its 15th-annual Pasta Tales essay writing contest.  This year, Olive Garden is asking students to: “Describe how furthering your education beyond high school will help make your dreams come true.”  The contest grand prize is a three-day trip to New York City and a $2,500 savings bond.

Today through Friday, Jan., 21, 2011, Olive Garden’s Pasta Tales contest will give students in first through 12th-grade in the U.S. and Canada the opportunity to share their stories in essays of 50 to 250 words.  Pasta Tales entry forms and complete rules are available on Olive Garden’s website at www.olivegarden.com/company/community/pasta_tales.asp and at local Olive Garden restaurants.

In addition to Olive Garden’s Pasta Tales grand prize of a three-day trip to New York City including dinner at the Olive Garden in Times Square and a $2,500 savings bond, winners will be named in each grade category and awarded a $500 savings bond and a family dinner at their local Olive Garden restaurant.

Olive Garden’s Pasta Tales entries must include the writer’s first and last name, complete address, phone number with area code, grade, date of birth including year and a statement that the work is his or her own.  Entries must be submitted either online or postmarked by Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 and sent to Pasta Tales, PMB 2000, 6278 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33308-1916.

Submissions will be judged based on creativity, adherence to theme, organization, grammar, punctuation and spelling by the Quill and Scroll Society of the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Iowa, with winners selected by Olive Garden.

Olive Garden’s Pasta Tales essay contest provides students in its local communities an outlet to creatively express the influences, experiences and stories that have shaped their lives.  For more information about Olive Garden’s Pasta Tales, contact Katie Lennon at (919) 376-1737 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST.

Olive Garden is the leading restaurant in the Italian dining segment with more than 700 restaurants, more than 87,000 employees and $3.3 billion in annual sales.  Olive Garden is a member of the Darden family of restaurants (NYSE: DRI), the world’s largest company-owned and operated full-service restaurant company.  For more information, visit Olive Garden’s website at www.olivegarden.com.

Two young women walked into a St. Louis bar on a recent Saturday night.

One recalled asking for a beer “like Budweiser.” The bartender informed her that his tavern didn’t carry any.

The woman’s friend pecked away at her cell phone, firing off a two-word review on the Web about 33 Wine Shop and Tasting Bar: “Pretentious bartenders.”

Almost instantly, the barkeep, 33 owner Jeff Stettner, received a text message about the critique from a plugged-in regular customer, who had seen it posted on Yelp and repeated in the woman’s Twitter stream.

Welcome to the new-media world of restaurant criticism, where anybody with an opinion and a Web connection has a soapbox from which to praise, promote, gripe or grumble. And where restaurants can react just as quickly – or not.

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Recently, Montrealer John Hartupee and his girlfriend headed to New York City for a foodie week-end.

“Burger King in the airport waiting for my flight to NYC. I’ll consider this my amuse-bouche for Eleven Madison Park!” he tweeted.

When he got to Eleven Madison Park (has four stars from the New York Times), they sent out extra amuse bouches under silver domes. Each had mini lamb burgers on them. “We hope these are better than the one you had at the airport,” the server smiled. Is it stalking?

Nope. It’s what Twitter-happy restaurateurs would call personalized service. If your birth date is on Facebook, don’t be alarmed if a hostess wishes you a Happy Birthday! On the other hand, if you forgot the name of the wine you liked at a restaurant, well, tweet and ask.

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California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. (CPK) (NASDAQ: CPKI), home of the Original BBQ Chicken Pizza and other innovative hearth-baked pizzas, made-to-order pastas, creative salads, appetizers, soups, sandwiches and desserts, announced today that Houston, TX resident Shirley Pope, has won the $100,000 online sweepstakes as part of the restaurant chain’s nationwide Thank You Card program, which kicked-off in late July. Pope is a frequent CPK customer who entered to win the $100,000 online sweepstakes seven times during the promotion.

Earlier this year CPK gave out 2.7 million Thank You Cards to customers dining at their full service restaurants across the nation. Each party received a sealed envelope with their guest check containing a guaranteed prize, ranging from 10 percent off a meal to $25,000. This year, CPK also held the $100,000 online sweepstakes, giving customers an opportunity to win twice. Customers entered the online drawing at www.cpk.com/thankyou or on their mobile phone by entering the unique code they received from the inside of the envelope that was opened at the restaurant. Other Thank You Card program prizes ranged from CPK frozen pizza for a year to a $1,000 shopping spree.

“This was the largest award CPK has ever offered,” said Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax, co-founders and co-CEOs of California Pizza Kitchen. “We are grateful to our loyal customers and our Thank You Card program was our way of saying thank you for their years of support.”

For complete program details and official contest rules, please visit www.cpk.com.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) today announced that it will participate in the launch of Facebook Deals, which enables people to easily find and redeem deals at nearby businesses when they check in using Facebook Places. Chipotle will offer a special promotion for people who check in at any Chipotle location using Facebook Places on their smartphone. Facebook Places gives people the power to easily share where they are with friends, find friends who are nearby, discover new places, and now, take advantage of a special Chipotle offer by checking in.

Check in at any U.S. Chipotle on Saturday or Sunday, November 13 and 14, and November 20 and 21, and receive a buy-one-get-one entrée which includes a burrito, burrito bowl, order of tacos or salad. Customers must show their smartphone check-in to the cashier when the check-in is made and the offer will be validated.

“Facebook has become a great tool for us to establish and deepen relationships with our customers, and we’re excited to make this offer to the Facebook community,” said Mark Crumpacker, chief marketing officer at Chipotle. “With more than 1 million Chipotle fans on Facebook, we enjoy frequent conversations with our customers about our business and what makes us different. And now with Facebook Deals, we have an opportunity to turn more people on to Chipotle.”

Chipotle uses its Facebook Page to discuss its commitment to using premium quality ingredients from more sustainable sources in its more than 1,000 restaurants. Chipotle calls this commitment to fresh, unprocessed foods cooked using classical cooking techniques and raised with respect for the animals, the environment and the farmers “Food with Integrity.” The company also promotes restaurant openings and special programs, answers customer questions, and responds to service issues using the popular social networking platform.

Dunkin’ Donuts, the world’s largest baked goods and coffee chain, returns for a fifth year as an official sponsor of the ING New York City Marathon, the premier event of New York Road Runners.  This year, Dunkin’ Donuts will fuel the runners by brewing 12,000 gallons of hot coffee in the Marathon’s Start Village beginning at 1:00am, and by setting up cheering hubs at each of the Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants along the Marathon route.  

Also returning for the fifth year is “Team Dunkin’.” This running team will participate in the Marathon to represent everyday, hard-working people doing something extraordinary.

On race day, Sunday, November 7, all ten Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants along the route will have “refuel” stations where fans can create custom cheer posters to support the runners. At the stations, fans will also receive free fleece caps to keep them warm on the sidelines.  

Inside the Start Village, Dunkin’ Donuts will be the exclusive hot coffee provider for all 45,000 runners and 600 volunteers, proving that America really does run on Dunkin’. Here, Dunkin’ Donuts will brew 12,000 gallons of hot coffee from four coffee trucks, fueling runners with the energy they need to endure the 26.2-mile race. Dunkin’ Donuts will also distribute 15,000 branded fleece caps to runners in each of the start-line zones.