Even amidst grim financial times, decadence will rule this Valentine’s Day at the region’s upscale restaurants, with menus commanded by salivating descriptions of steak, veal, oysters and lobster, and romantic desserts drenched in chocolate.

It’s part of a strategy to entice lovebirds looking for romantic affirmation into splurging a little on their lover — and restaurants that cater to celebrations and special occasions are counting on big checks from satisfied couples to buoy their bottom lines during the traditionally slow time of year, made even more so by high unemployment and penny-pinching, recessionary spending.

In 2009, fine-dining restaurants were hit by double-digit drops in revenue, according to the NPD Group, a market research firm. For a traditionally popular holiday, surviving upscale restaurant owners are making every effort to ensure that customers are not rushed out the door, but also to cram as many reservations as possible into their schedule.

Continue reading . . .

• Restaurant Marketing Secrets
• The Restaurant Marketing Bible: How To Market Your Restaurant on a Shoestring Budget
• Restaurant Marketing Strategies: Dramatically Improve Your Restaurant Profits While Spending Less Money
• Foodservice Marketing for the ’90s: How to Become the #1 Restaurant in Your Neighborhood
• Restaurant Marketing for Owners and Managers
• The Food Service Professionals Guide to: Increasing Restaurant Sales
• The Food Service Professional Guide to Restaurant Promotion & Publicity: For Just a Few Dollars a Day
• Restaurant Biz Is Showbiz!: Why Marketing Is the Key to Your Success
• Restaurant Newsletters That Pay Off
• Grassroots Marketing For The Restaurant Industry
• Marketing Plan for a Fast-casual Restaurant (Fill-in-the-Blank Marketing Plans, Volume 1 – Fast-casual Restaurant)
• 1000 Restaurant, Bar, and Cafe Graphics: From Signage to Logos and Everything In Between
• Bar and Restaurant Logos
• Logos of American Restaurants
• Creative Restaurant Graphics 1: Excellence in Contemporary Design

Whether you are a modern day Casanova, a hopeless romantic or just love to flirt, your favorite pick up line may earn you more than just a smile or grimace this Valentine’s Day.

Pizza Hut is inviting consumers with silver tongues to share pick up lines – the best, the worst and the cheesiest – by tweeting @pizzahut for the chance to win a single order of HERSHEY’S® Chocolate Dunkers®, Pizza Hut’s chocolate-topped dessert sticks.  Even if you are more of the target for amateur Cupid remarks than the sugar lips dishing out sweet commentary, Pizza Hut would love to hear a line that won you over.

“Valentine’s Day is all about cheesy pick up lines,” said Pizza Hut Tweetologist Alexa Robinson. “As a southern girl, one of my favorites is, ‘Are you from Tennessee? Because you’re the only ten I see!’ I’m excited to see what other people send in.”

To help set the mood for sweet tweeting, @pizzahut has compiled some more favorites:

“Hope you know CPR because you take my breath away.”

“Did it hurt…When you fell from heaven?”

“You must be tired. You have been running through my dreams all night.”

“I have had a really bad day and it always makes me feel better to see a pretty girl smile. So, would you smile for me?

How to Enter

Sweet talkers and those who’ve heard every line in the book alike can enter by visiting http://twitter.com/PizzaHut. Participants are asked to tweet replies using the hashtag #iluvPH and directing tweets to @pizzahut. Submissions must be “G” rated and will be judged on originality and “sweetness” (see Official Rules at www.pizzahut.com/newsroom.aspx). The sweetest tweets will be selected by Tweetologist Alexa and the team at Pizza Hut.  Pizza Hut will accept entries February 11 – February 14, 2010. Winners will be notified by direct message on Twitter on or by February 15, 2010.

The Prize

100 sweet tweeters will win a free single order of HERSHEY’S® Chocolate Dunkers®, Pizza Hut’s chocolate-topped dessert sticks (in the form of a $5 Pizza Hut gift card).

Any dessert lover is sure to fall for Pizza Hut’s HERSHEY’S® Chocolate Dunkers®. HERSHEY’S® Chocolate Dunkers are freshly-baked, soft, melt-in-your-mouth dessert sticks topped with white chocolate and HERSHEY’S® milk chocolate – served with rich chocolate dipping sauce!  The HERSHEY’S® trademark and trade dress are used under license.

Pizza Hut, America’s Favorite Pizza, delivers more pizza, pasta and wings than any other restaurant. The only pizza company to be named a top ten franchise in 2009 by Entrepreneur Magazine, Pizza Hut began 50 years ago in Wichita, Kansas and today operates more than 10,000 restaurants in over 90 countries. Pizza Hut, Inc. is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. ( YUM). To check out what’s new at Pizza Hut visit pizzahut.com.

Earthquake survivors in Haiti will get a little extra love on Valentine’s Day as 15 top U.S. restaurants will donate a portion of their proceeds to a unique initiative called “Hearts for Haiti: An American Dining Relief Benefit,” the Pan American Development Foundation and its partners announced. www.HaitiHearts.org

Hearts for Haiti was conceived by Bravo’s “Top Chef” Season Six contestant Chef Ron Duprat, a native of Haiti and now Executive Chef at Latitudes Beach Cafe at the Hollywood Beach Marriott  in Florida, to raise money for relief and recovery efforts by three non-profit organizations, including PADF.

“Chef Ron Duprat’s initiative is a terrific way for people to celebrate their love for each other, while at the same time helping the survivors of today’s worst natural disaster in the hemisphere,” says Jimmy Jean-Louis, who plays the “Haitian” on NBC’s hit series “Heroes” and is PADF’s Goodwill Ambassador. www.HaitiHearts.org

Benefiting organizations are: PADF, along with its partners Hollywood Unites for Haiti (HUFH) and the Organization of American States (OAS) www.padf.org; and Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Aid based in St. Louis. www.KinshipCircle.org/haiti/

Participating restaurants are:

Arizona

Chef Todd Sicolo at Frank & Albert’s Restaurant at The Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix www.arizonabiltmore.com/dining/biltmore.aspx

California

Mattin Nobilia of Iluna Basque Restaurant in San Francisco www.ilunabasque.com

Connecticut

Adam Greenberg of Barcelona Wine Bar in West Hartford www.barcelonawinebar.com

Florida

Allen Susser of Chef Allen’s Seafood Grill in Aventura www.chefallens.com

Ron Duprat of Latitudes Beach Cafe at the Hollywood Beach Marriott  in Hollywood www.latitudesonthebeach.com

Niranjan Perera of Nilus Delights Bakery in Hollywood

Michelle Bernstein of Michy’s in Miami www.michysmiami.com

Sean Gavin of Crave Restaurant in Fort Myers

James Hudson of J Bistro in Fort Myers www.jbistros.com

Tim Andriola of Timo Restaurant in Sunny Isles www.timorestaurant.com

Chef Sigfredo Gonzalez at Borinqueya  in Davie www.borinqueyarestaurant.com

Chef Steve Mendez at Top Chef Restaurant and Lodge in North Ft. Lauderdale

Jose Pastrana of Trina Restaurant at the Atlantic Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale www.trinarestaurantandlounge.com

Georgia

Hector Santiago of Pura Vida-Latino Tapas Restaurant & Bar in Atlanta www.puravidatapas.com

New Jersey

Chef J. Geoffrey at The Copperfish Restaurant  in Cape May www.thecopperfishrestaurant.com

In Pasadena, Calif., Michael Voltaggio of The Dining Room, Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa has donated two dining gift certificates valued at $400, which will be auctioned. www.pasadena.langhamhotels.com

Apart from Hearts for Haiti, individual and corporate donations to PADF-OAS-HUFH’s Haiti relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts are encouraged by calling toll-free (877) 572-4484 or visiting www.PanAmericanRelief.org. Text HEAL to 50555 to donate $5.

About HUFH

Hollywood Unites For Haiti is a non-profit charitable aid organization based in Los Angeles that that is lead by Jimmy Jean-Louis. www.hufh.org.

About the OAS

The Organization of American States (OAS) is the world’s oldest regional organization and today is comprised of 34 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean. www.oas.org

About PADF

PADF is a non-profit organization established in 1962 to promote, facilitate, and implement social and economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the past year, it had more than 5.6 million beneficiaries in 18 countries.

PADF is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in Haiti. With nearly three decades of work on the ground, PADF now manages a large portfolio of activities ranging from community-driven development to protecting human rights.

Its headquarters is in Washington, D.C., and has field offices in Haiti, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and elsewhere. www.padf.org

Whataburger celebrates Valentine’s Day with a sweetheart deal for couples featuring its most beloved limited time menu item. From 5 to 10 p.m. on Sunday, February 14, any couple can purchase a Patty Melt Whatameal, which includes fries and a drink, and receive a second Patty Melt Whatameal free for dine-in service. Customers can even send a special e-vite from www.whataburger.com to ask their Valentines to join them for “I Love Patty Melt” night.

Whataburger fans who found love under the orange W are the inspiration for the burger chain’s “I Love Patty Melt” promotion. Customer John Miller met his wife Linda at a San Antonio, Texas, Whataburger in 1981 when she was an assistant manager and he stopped in for breakfast. Their first date followed over a Whataburger breakfast and two weeks later, they became engaged. The couple still celebrates every November 28 at “their” Whataburger and in 2008, arrived to find a reserved table prepared for them by the restaurant team with white linens, flowers, cake and matching his-and-her Whataburger-branded Fossil watches.

“We’ve heard so many great Whataburger love stories from our customers, and our ‘I Love Patty Melt’ promotion is our way of thanking them for sharing their stories and hopefully inspiring some new ones,” said Rich Scheffler, Whataburger Restaurants, LP Group Director of Marketing. “We hope to see everyone – from couples who have just met to couples like the Millers who have been married for more than 25 years – enjoying our Patty Melt together on Valentine’s Day.”

Whataburger holds special memories for many customers, like Naomi Davis of Deer Park, Texas, who says she and her husband went dancing on their first date, and afterwards he asked where she’d like to go eat. She said “Whataburger” and that’s when he said he knew she was the one. Whataburger fan and National Guardsman Darrell Clendennen returned home from an overseas tour of duty in December to surprise his bride of 25 years with an anniversary party at a Houston Whataburger that had been specially decorated for the occasion. Newlyweds Kristen and James Gardiner, who met at a Whataburger while still in college, were engaged at that same Whataburger in College Station, Texas, and later posed for their wedding photos there.

Whataburger’s tasty Patty Melt, available through March 1, is made with two 100 percent fresh, never frozen, American beef patties grilled to perfection, topped with two slices of Monterey Jack cheese, grilled onions and a creamy pepper sauce between two slices of Texas toast. The meal comes with fries however customers can substitute a side salad for an additional charge. The Patty Melt first debuted on the menus in 2008.

ABOUT WHATABURGER SERVES:

“I Love Patty” is part of Whataburger Serves. The long term initiative includes events to build employee team spirit and morale, customer appreciation initiatives with fun moments and free food offers, and community initiatives that will support groups in need. To learn more about Whataburger Serves and coming plans, visit www.whataburger.com/whataburger_serves.

ABOUT WHATABURGER:

Whataburger has focused on its fresh, made-to-order burgers and friendly customer service since 1950 when Harmon Dobson opened the first Whataburger as a small roadside burger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas. Dobson gave his restaurant a name he hoped to hear customers say every time they took a bite of his made-to-order burgers: “What a burger!” Within the first week, people lined up around the block for his 25 cent, all-American beef burgers served on five-inch buns. Today, the company is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, with more than 700 locations in 10 states with sales of more than $1 billion annually. Visit www.whataburger.com for more information on the company.

• Restaurant Marketing Secrets
• The Restaurant Marketing Bible: How To Market Your Restaurant on a Shoestring Budget
• Restaurant Marketing Strategies: Dramatically Improve Your Restaurant Profits While Spending Less Money
• Foodservice Marketing for the ’90s: How to Become the #1 Restaurant in Your Neighborhood
• Restaurant Marketing for Owners and Managers
• The Food Service Professionals Guide to: Increasing Restaurant Sales
• The Food Service Professional Guide to Restaurant Promotion & Publicity: For Just a Few Dollars a Day
• Restaurant Biz Is Showbiz!: Why Marketing Is the Key to Your Success
• Restaurant Newsletters That Pay Off
• Grassroots Marketing For The Restaurant Industry
• Marketing Plan for a Fast-casual Restaurant (Fill-in-the-Blank Marketing Plans, Volume 1 – Fast-casual Restaurant)
• 1000 Restaurant, Bar, and Cafe Graphics: From Signage to Logos and Everything In Between
• Bar and Restaurant Logos
• Logos of American Restaurants
• Creative Restaurant Graphics 1: Excellence in Contemporary Design

Whataburger celebrates Valentine’s Day with a sweetheart deal for couples featuring its most beloved limited time menu item. From 5 to 10 p.m. on Sunday, February 14, any couple can purchase a Patty Melt Whatameal, which includes fries and a drink, and receive a second Patty Melt Whatameal free for dine-in service. Customers can even send a special e-vite from www.whataburger.com to ask their Valentines to join them for “I Love Patty Melt” night.

Whataburger fans who found love under the orange W are the inspiration for the burger chain’s “I Love Patty Melt” promotion. Customer John Miller met his wife Linda at a San Antonio, Texas, Whataburger in 1981 when she was an assistant manager and he stopped in for breakfast. Their first date followed over a Whataburger breakfast and two weeks later, they became engaged. The couple still celebrates every November 28 at “their” Whataburger and in 2008, arrived to find a reserved table prepared for them by the restaurant team with white linens, flowers, cake and matching his-and-her Whataburger-branded Fossil watches.

“We’ve heard so many great Whataburger love stories from our customers, and our ‘I Love Patty Melt’ promotion is our way of thanking them for sharing their stories and hopefully inspiring some new ones,” said Rich Scheffler, Whataburger Restaurants, LP Group Director of Marketing. “We hope to see everyone – from couples who have just met to couples like the Millers who have been married for more than 25 years – enjoying our Patty Melt together on Valentine’s Day.”

Whataburger holds special memories for many customers, like Naomi Davis of Deer Park, Texas, who says she and her husband went dancing on their first date, and afterwards he asked where she’d like to go eat. She said “Whataburger” and that’s when he said he knew she was the one. Whataburger fan and National Guardsman Darrell Clendennen returned home from an overseas tour of duty in December to surprise his bride of 25 years with an anniversary party at a Houston Whataburger that had been specially decorated for the occasion. Newlyweds Kristen and James Gardiner, who met at a Whataburger while still in college, were engaged at that same Whataburger in College Station, Texas, and later posed for their wedding photos there.

Whataburger’s tasty Patty Melt, available through March 1, is made with two 100 percent fresh, never frozen, American beef patties grilled to perfection, topped with two slices of Monterey Jack cheese, grilled onions and a creamy pepper sauce between two slices of Texas toast. The meal comes with fries however customers can substitute a side salad for an additional charge. The Patty Melt first debuted on the menus in 2008.

“I Love Patty” is part of Whataburger Serves. The long term initiative includes events to build employee team spirit and morale, customer appreciation initiatives with fun moments and free food offers, and community initiatives that will support groups in need. To learn more about Whataburger Serves and coming plans, visit www.whataburger.com/whataburger_serves.

Whataburger has focused on its fresh, made-to-order burgers and friendly customer service since 1950 when Harmon Dobson opened the first Whataburger as a small roadside burger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas. Dobson gave his restaurant a name he hoped to hear customers say every time they took a bite of his made-to-order burgers: “What a burger!” Within the first week, people lined up around the block for his 25 cent, all-American beef burgers served on five-inch buns. Today, the company is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, with more than 700 locations in 10 states with sales of more than $1 billion annually. Visit www.whataburger.com for more information on the company.

• Restaurant Marketing Secrets
• The Restaurant Marketing Bible: How To Market Your Restaurant on a Shoestring Budget
• Restaurant Marketing Strategies: Dramatically Improve Your Restaurant Profits While Spending Less Money
• Foodservice Marketing for the ’90s: How to Become the #1 Restaurant in Your Neighborhood
• Restaurant Marketing for Owners and Managers
• The Food Service Professionals Guide to: Increasing Restaurant Sales
• The Food Service Professional Guide to Restaurant Promotion & Publicity: For Just a Few Dollars a Day
• Restaurant Biz Is Showbiz!: Why Marketing Is the Key to Your Success
• Restaurant Newsletters That Pay Off
• Grassroots Marketing For The Restaurant Industry

Bonefish Grill, the award-winning, polished casual restaurant specializing in market-fresh fish and wood-grilled specialties, announced today a partnership with The Ferrero Company, one of the world’s largest confectionery companies and a leader in the premium chocolates category. On Sunday, February 14, guests celebrating Valentine’s Day at Bonefish Grill restaurants will receive a taste of Ferrero® premium chocolates with complimentary Ferrero Rocher® chocolates and Ferrero Rondnoir® dark chocolates at the end of their meals. Guests can also enter Bonefish Grill’s “February is for Food Lovers” Sweepstakes from February 1-28 to win a trip for two to Paris and an assortment of Ferrero® premium chocolates.  

“We are committed to providing our guests an exceptional experience, whether for a special occasion or a casual meal any night of the week,” said John Cooper, president, Bonefish Grill. “By partnering with The Ferrero Company, we are excited to offer food lovers a taste of superior quality and indulgence.”

The “February is for Food Lovers” Sweepstakes will award one grand prize winner an all-expenses paid trip for two to Paris, plus a gift assortment of Ferrero® premium chocolates. One second place winner will win a year’s supply of the Ferrero Collection™ assorted confections, and five third place winners with receive a gift assortment of Ferrero® premium chocolates. For a chance to win the “February is for Food Lovers” Sweepstakes, guests can register at BonefishGrill.com/sweeps.

“We are delighted to partner with Bonefish Grill to create a special and memorable meal,” said Ioan Cusmir, Category Manager, Pralines, The Ferrero Company. “Guests can indulge in the multi-sensory experience of Ferrero® premium chocolates, which are the perfect affordable luxury for any day.”

For more information, visit www.BonefishGrill.com/sweeps and FerreroChocolatesUSA.com.

As the “Fresh Fish Experts,” Bonefish Grill specializes in market-fresh fish and other wood-grilled specialties. Knowledgeable and attentive Bonefish Grill Anglers (our service staff) provide the best in what we like to call “chef’s coat service.” Our Anglers pride themselves on guiding our guests’ journey through our innovative, seasonal menu and specials, which feature only the highest-quality, freshest ingredients, including traditional and unique varieties of fish and seafood as well as numerous non-seafood items. We combine this with a big city bar that offers bar fresh cocktails and an affordable, interesting wine list.

Recently named “Best Seafood Restaurant in the Nation” by a leading consumer product guide, Bonefish Grill can be found in 29 states around the nation. For more information, visit us on the Web at www.bonefishgrill.com, www.facebook.com/BonefishGrill or http://twitter.com/BoneFishGrill.

The Ferrero Company was established in 1946 in Alba, Italy. The company’s first product was made with hazelnuts and cocoa, resulting in the base ingredients for the world’s #1 selling sweet spread on the market today – Nutella® hazelnut spread. Since then, the company has grown to become one of the world’s largest confectionery companies with a vast portfolio that includes high-quality products such as Ferrero Rocher® chocolates, Ferrero Rondnoir® dark chocolates, Kinder® chocolates, Raffaello® confections and Tic Tac® mints. Ferrero products are distributed globally throughout Europe, North America, Australia, Asia and South America. For more information, please visit http://www.ferrerochocolatesusa.com or www.facebook.com/Ferrero.

This Valentine’s Day, Dunkin’ Donuts wants you to think outside the traditional box of chocolates. February is “Chocolate Lovers” month at Dunkin’ Donuts, America’s all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods.  Whether you’re seeking a sweet treat for your sweetheart or perhaps a comforting snack to warm your own spirits on a cold winter day, throughout the month Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants will offer several new choices for a chocolate break that won’t break your budget.

For chocolate lovers looking for a treat for under a dollar, Dunkin’ Donuts is offering the new Triple Chocolate Donut, a chocolate cake donut topped with chocolate frosting and milk chocolate chips. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, Dunkin’ Donuts’ Sprinkle The Love Donut is a chocolate frosted yeast donut topped with special heart-shaped sprinkles. Both are available at the suggested retail price of 89 cents.

Dunkin’ Donuts has also introduced the new White Chocolate Latte topped with a mocha swirl drizzle.  Served hot or iced, white chocolate flavoring adds the perfect touch of chocolate to the traditional Dunkin’ Donuts latte. All Dunkin’ Donuts lattes are made with rich espresso, derived from high-quality, 100% Fair Trade Certified coffee beans, and steamed milk.

For Chocolate Lovers month, Dunkin’ Donuts is bringing back by popular demand two bakery favorites. The Triple Chocolate Muffin, made with a blend of cocoas and loaded with chocolate chunks and chips is available at the suggested retail price of $1.39. Dunkin’ Donuts’ brownie is topped with creamy chocolate icing, white chocolate shavings and a chocolate drizzle, and is available at the suggested retail price of $1.39.

Finally, Dunkin’ Donuts is encouraging people to create their own Hot Chocolate with delicious unsweetened flavors including caramel, coconut, blueberry, raspberry, French vanilla, hazelnut, cinnamon and toasted almond. Hot Chocolate lovers can choose one or more flavors to add to their Hot Chocolate or White Hot Chocolate to create their own personalized combination.

Hit by “CupiDD’s” Arrow?

For 60 years, Americans have met their significant other over Dunkin’ Donuts coffee and donuts. To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Dunkin’ Donuts wants you to share your Dunkin’ Donuts love story. From February 8-11, Dunkin’ Donuts Facebook fans are encouraged to post a photo of themselves with their sweetheart and share their story of how Dunkin’ Donuts helped brew a romance. One winner will be selected to become Dunkin’ Donuts’ ‘CupiDD’s Pick of the Week’ and receive a $60 Dunkin’ Donuts Card in honor of Dunkin’ Donuts’ 60th birthday this year.  With more than 1 million fans on Dunkin’ Donuts’ Facebook page, there are sure to be enough inspirational stories to warm everyone’s heart for Valentine’s Day. To participate, visit http://www.facebook.com/dunkindonuts.

Founded in 1950, Dunkin’ Donuts is America’s favorite every day, all-day stop for coffee and baked goods. Dunkin’ Donuts is a market leader in the regular/decaf coffee, iced coffee, hot flavored coffee, donut, bagel and muffin categories, and the largest coffee and baked goods chain in the world. Dunkin’ Donuts has earned the No. 1 ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee category by Brand Keys for three years running. The company has more than 8,800 restaurants in 31 countries worldwide. In 2008, Dunkin’ Donuts’ global system-wide sales were $5.5 billion. Based in Canton, Massachusetts, Dunkin’ Donuts is a subsidiary of Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.

• Time to Make the Donuts: The Founder of Dunkin Donuts Shares an American Journey
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• Dunkin’ Donuts® French Vanilla Ground Coffee – 40 Oz.
• Dunkin’ Donuts Ground Coffee, Hazelnut, 40-ounce Bag [2.5 Pounds]

White table cloths, candle light and waffles are the ingredients in a special Valentine’s recipe more than 40 Waffle House Restaurants will be serving up this Valentine’s Day.

For the third straight year, participating Waffle House restaurants will offer white tablecloth service by candlelight for customers on Valentine’s night. Today the participating restaurants will begin to take reservations from the public for the big night.

“The last two years have really showed us that this isn’t just a special dinner for our customers, it has become an event,” says Pat Warner, Waffle House Vice President of Marketing.  ”Valentines at Waffle House is becoming ‘the reservation’ to get for the truly romantic couples.”

Last week, Waffle House Regular Club members were given an exclusive chance to make their reservations and many took the opportunity. But there are still some reservations available. Customers can find a list of participating locations and phone numbers at http://www.wafflehouse.com and also sign up to become a member of the Waffle House Regulars’ Club.

“Nothing tells your significant other you love them more than a double order of ‘Scattered, Smothered and Covered’ hashbrowns” adds Warner.

Headquartered in Norcross, GA, Waffle House has been serving Good Food Fast® since 1955. Today the Waffle House system operates more than 1,600 restaurants in 25 states and is the world’s leading server of waffles, T-bone steaks, hashbrowns, cheese ‘n eggs, USDA Choice hamburgers, country ham, pork chops and grits.

• Restaurant Marketing Secrets
• The Restaurant Marketing Bible: How To Market Your Restaurant on a Shoestring Budget
• Restaurant Marketing Strategies: Dramatically Improve Your Restaurant Profits While Spending Less Money
• Foodservice Marketing for the ’90s: How to Become the #1 Restaurant in Your Neighborhood
• Restaurant Marketing for Owners and Managers

It has long been a tradition to shower one’s sweetheart with chocolaty, indulgent treats on Valentine’s Day. This year Cold Stone Creamery’s innovative Sr. Tastemaster has done it again, this time by transforming the iconic Chocolate Dipped Strawberry into a unique ice cream flavor.

Beginning Feb. 3 through March 31, Cold Stone Creamery locations across the country will feature Chocolate Dipped Strawberry ice cream. This new flavor exhibits a rich chocolate flavor combined with the lush freshness of real strawberries. In addition to being offered as a Cold Stone Creation, shake and cupcake, the new Chocolate Dipped Strawberry flavor will also be featured as a Heart-Shaped Cake. This romantic cake is made with layers of Chocolate Dipped Strawberry ice cream, strawberry puree and red velvet cake, wrapped in a proprietary fudge ganache that maintains its velvety texture through the freezing process.

“It’s my job to offer Cold Stone Creamery fans something new and relevant each season,” said Cold Stone Creamery’s Sr. Tastemaster^™, Ray Karam. “When you think of Valentine’s Day, the chocolate dipped strawberry is a very popular treat; I just took that flavor profile and applied it to our super-premium ice cream.”

The entire Chocolate Dipped Strawberry ice cream line will be in stores from Feb. 3 through March 31 including:

• Chocolate Strawberry Affair Creation — Chocolate Dipped Strawberry ice cream mixed with strawberries, chocolate shavings and strawberry puree.
• Chocolate Loves Strawberry Heart-Shaped Cake — Layers of Chocolate Dipped Strawberry ice cream, strawberry puree and red velvet cake, wrapped in a proprietary fudge ganache.
• Be My Cupcake — A rich chocolate cup filled with a layer of red velvet cake, strawberry puree and Chocolate Dipped Strawberry ice cream, topped with piped ganache and a strawberry.
• Chocolate Dipped Delight Shake — Chocolate Dipped Strawberry ice cream, milk and strawberry puree blended together, it’s a chocolate-strawberry lover’s dream.

Cold Stone Creamery delivers The Ultimate Ice Cream Experience® through a community of franchisees who are passionate about ice cream. The secret recipe for smooth and creamy ice cream is handcrafted fresh daily in each store, and then customized by combining a variety of mix-ins on a frozen granite stone. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Cold Stone Creamery is a subsidiary of Kahala, one of the fastest growing franchising companies in the world, with a portfolio of 12 quick-service restaurant brands. Cold Stone Creamery operates more than 1,450 locations in 15 countries.

For more information about Cold Stone Creamery, visit www.coldstonecreamery.com. For more information about Kahala, visit www.kahalacorp.com.

• Restaurant Marketing Secrets
• The Restaurant Marketing Bible: How To Market Your Restaurant on a Shoestring Budget
• Restaurant Marketing Strategies: Dramatically Improve Your Restaurant Profits While Spending Less Money
• Foodservice Marketing for the ’90s: How to Become the #1 Restaurant in Your Neighborhood
• Restaurant Marketing for Owners and Managers

What’s shaped like a heart, loaded with cheese and pepperoni, and lots of fun for Valentine’s Day? Papa Murphy’s Heart-Shaped Pizza! For a great low price, customers can stop by any one of the take ‘n’ bake chain’s 1,180-plus locations and take home this February favorite.  Celebrating out on the town? For decades, the Heart-Shaped Pizza has been a parent’s fun dinner solution for the kids and babysitter.

“Pizza is a fun food to begin with, but make it heart-shaped for Valentine’s Day and you’ve got an equation for an entertaining and memorable meal!” said Carron Harris, vice president of product development at Papa Murphy’s. “Whether it’s a large family gathering or a romantic dinner for two, we’re honored that so many choose to celebrate the day with us!”

Like Papa Murphy’s other pizzas, the Heart-Shaped Pizza is a premium-quality, budget-friendly product that’s made fresh each day in Papa Murphy’s stores and baked up hot in a customer’s oven. Price and participation varies nationwide.

Papa Murphy’s is the fifth-largest pizza chain in the country and the pioneer and leader of the take ‘n’ bake pizza segment. Papa Murphy’s operates nearly 1,200 franchised and corporate-owned locations in 34 states and Canada. The Vancouver, Wash.-based company offers custom-made pizzas featuring high-quality fresh toppings generously layered on pizza dough that is made fresh each morning in each store.  By baking Papa Murphy’s pizzas at home, customers get to experience the home-baked aroma of a convenient, delicious meal that the brand is known for. In addition to handmade pizzas, the company offers a growing menu of take ‘n’ bake items, including Cheesy Bread, Cinnamon Wheels, and chocolate chip cookie dough. Papa Murphy’s has been voted “Best Pizza Chain in America” for seven consecutive years by consumers nationwide in the Restaurants and Institutions “Consumers’ Choice in Chains” survey and is a four-time recipient of Pizza Today’s Chain of the Year award, most recently in 2009. For more information, visit www.papamurphys.com.