Unilever Food Solutions North America has announced its winner in the first-ever Inspired Restaurant Makeover Contest, an online-based competition asking small, independent restaurant operators across the country to demonstrate how Unilever Food Solutions’ enhanced service offerings would help their businesses grow. After scouring through hundreds of entries, the brand has selected as its winner Cynthia Krstich, manager of The Coach Sports Grille – formerly The Coachman restaurant – in Madison Heights, Mich., just outside of Detroit.

“In her entry, Krstich made it clear she and her team need to conduct business in a more structured way, thereby maximizing the benefits of service offerings like those of Unilever Food Solutions,” said Ted Skodol, director, Customer and Channel Marketing, Unilever Food Solutions North America. “Cynthia and her staff have a real passion to make The Coach Sports Grille the best it can be and that commitment serves as inspiration to us. With a solid foundation and Unilever Food Solutions’ services and professional ingredients, we can make a significant impact on The Coach Sports Grille’s business, and we’re looking forward to doing just that.”

Unilever Food Solutions is awarding Krstich and The Coach Sports Grille a prize package valued up to $100,000, which includes:

• More than 100 hours of one-on-one consultation services from Unilever Food Solutions across the areas of “Your Guests,” “Your Menu” and “Your Kitchen,” including access to Unilever Food Solutions’ Certified Master Chef and Registered Dietitian
• One-year supply of free Unilever Food Solutions professional ingredients
• $5,000 in cash to invest in front-of-house/back-of-house improvements to the winner’s restaurant
• An Inspirational Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Experience Weekend for up to four members of the winning restaurant’s team to attend the world-famous CIA to work with the Unilever Food Solutions Culinary Team and CIA instructors to improve the restaurant’s menu

The Coach Sports Grille is a local independent operation striving to give its guests the best possible restaurant experience at good prices, without compromising a clean, fun atmosphere. Krstich says she is elated to have won the first-ever Unilever Food Solution Inspired Restaurant Makeover Contest and explained that additional support will help her achieve many of her immediate and long-term goals.

“I was astounded when I found out we’d been selected as the winner of Unilever Food Solutions’ contest,” said Krstich. “My team and I work hard each and every day, and to be recognized by such a well-respected brand in the food service industry really means more to us than I could ever put into words. We’re eager to learn from some of the best folks in the business and we really can’t wait to see the restaurant transform right before our eyes!”

The consultation services Krstich and her team at The Coach Sports Grille will receive from Unilever Food Solutions will span across the following three key areas and will be tailored specifically to the restaurant’s needs: “Your Guests,” “Your Menu” and “Your Kitchen.”

For more information about Unilever Food Solutions’ first-ever Inspired Restaurant Makeover Contest, as well as the brand’s products and enhanced service offerings, and to follow The Coach Sports Grille’s journey, please visit http://www.unileverfoodsolutions.com/.

About Unilever Food Solutions North America

At Unilever Food Solutions, we help chefs all over the world serve tasty, wholesome meals that keep guests coming back for more. We create ingredients that save precious prep time in the kitchen, without compromising on flavor or flair. And constantly provide ideas and inspiration that keep your menu fresh and exciting. Our ingredients are some of the staples of professional kitchens in 74 countries around the world: Knorr, Hellmann’s, Lipton and more. We’ve been in the foodservice industry since the 1880s. We have more than 300 chefs on staff around the world, so we understand that critical balance between impressing your guests and making a profit. And how to keep your menus and recipes fresh and exciting, as times and tastes change.

Cimone Skrzekut has found her calling with Maui Wowi Hawaiian, http://www.mauiwowifranchise.com. The gourmet Hawaiian coffee and fresh fruit smoothie company welcomes her to the ‘Ohana (family) as their newest Franchisee. She and her husband Brian will soon be serving up the ‘Aloha Spirit’, Hawaiian flavor, and island attitude to Saint Charles, Missouri.

The Hawaiian coffee and fresh fruit smoothie company offered Cimone the key elements she was looking for when deciding to own her own business. “We longed for a business model that would allow us flexibility, fun, and a superior product that would bring smiles to people’s faces,” said Cimone.

She, and her husband Brian, spent a lot of time researching and evaluating different franchise opportunities and found that Maui Wowi Hawaiian was the perfect fit. “We wanted a balance between work and play, and a business model that would allow us to grow,” said Cimone.

Brian spent many years as a mechanical engineer, while Cimone worked as a travel nurse. Her strong social and team management skills will compliment Brian’s analytical and detail oriented insight to make them an excellent team. Together, they plan to share the ‘Aloha Spirit’ at state fairs, school events, and special occasions with their mobile operating unit called a Ka’anapali cart. The flexible business models that Maui Wowi offers range from the mobile unit to fixed retail locations, allowing Cimone and Brian to grow their business at their own pace.

A quote by the famous philosopher, Confucius says, “Choose a job that you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Cimone and Brian intend to take this philosophy and apply it to their own lives. “By combining all of our talents, we look forward to our success with Maui Wow and are eager to begin our journey that will allow us to never have to work a day in our lives,” said Cimone.

About Maui Wowi Hawaiian Coffees & Smoothies:
Before the days of big Hawaiian resort hotels and fiberglass surfboards, surfers spent long, lazy days partaking in the tasty waves of the North Shore beaches. As the legends of the surfers grew, many were drawn to the healthy, carefree lifestyle of Hawaii. Since 1982, Maui Wowi Hawaiian has been spreading the ‘Aloha Spirit’ across the world with its premium Hawaiian coffees, all-natural fresh fruit smoothies and authentic Hawaiian products. From event carts, mall kiosks and stand-alone retail locations, Maui Wowi Hawaiian operates 575 locations worldwide. For more information about Maui Wowi Hawaiian’s flexible, low cost franchising opportunities, visit http://www.mauiwowifranchising.com

As restaurants around the country gear up for the bounty of fall and a busy dining season, OpenTable, Inc., a leading provider of free, real-time online restaurant reservations for diners and reservation and guest management solutions for restaurants, is pleased to announce the Diners’ Choice Awards for the top 50 restaurants that are “fit for foodies.”  The list of winners is derived from more than 10 million reviews submitted by OpenTable diners for more than 12,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The San Francisco Bay Area, home to scores of innovative chefs, such as Daniel Patterson (Coi), Melissa Perello (Frances) and Thomas Keller (The French Laundry), made a strong showing, earning 14 places on the list. Chicago chefs Stefanie Izard and Graham Elliot helped the Windy City grab six awards, for second place. Meanwhile, New York City trailed with five wins, including Amanda Cohen’s Dirt Candy. Seattle and the greater Boston area each boast five recipients, including a win for Boston’s Barbara Lynch. Farther west, the Twin Cities scored a hat trick with three standout spots on the list: Hauteland, Heartland Restaurant and Piccolo. Arizona, Colorado, Philadelphia, Oregon and South Carolina, among others, are also represented.

“With great reviews from scores of foodies comes great responsibility, and these restaurants embrace that responsibility in powerful and creative ways,” says Caroline Potter, OpenTable’s Chief Dining Officer.   “These restaurants have been singled out for being able to satisfy the folks for whom dining is practically sport — those avid, passionate eaters, often armed with cameras who take careful notes and relish every bite. While the restaurants on this list specialize in different cuisines and styles of cooking, each winner is pushing a boundary, maintaining an ethic, and practicing perfection with each dish.”

Based on feedback collected from OpenTable diners between September 2010 and August 2011, the following 50 restaurants, listed in alphabetical order, received the highest scores for late night dining from OpenTable diners. For more information about this list, please visit http://www.opentable.com/foodies.

Abattoir – Atlanta, Georgia
Ad Hoc – Yountville, California
Aldea – New York, New York
Annisa – New York, New York
Bergamot – Somerville, Massachusetts
Bibou – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Blackbird – Chicago, Illinois
Blue Hill – New York, New York
Bonsoiree – Chicago, Illinois
Camino – Oakland, California
Canteen – San Francisco, California
Cascina Spinasse – Seattle, Washington
Coi – San Francisco, California
Commis – Oakland, California
Commonwealth – San Francisco, California
Craigie on Main – Cambridge, Massachusetts
Dirt Candy – New York, New York
FIG – Charleston, South Carolina
Fond – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Forage – Salt Lake City, Utah
Frances – San Francisco, California
Frasca Food and Wine – Boulder, Colorado
The French Laundry – Napa, California
Gather – Berkeley, California
Girl & The Goat – Chicago, Illinois
Graham Elliot – Chicago, Illinois
Hatfields – Los Angeles, California
Haute Dish – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Heartland Restaurant & Farm Direct Market – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Hungry Mother – Cambridge, Massachusetts
Local 127 – Cincinnati, Ohio
Menton – Boston, Massachusetts
Mistral Kitchen – Seattle, Washington
noca – Phoenix, Arizona
o ya – Boston, Massachusetts
Osteria Mozza – Los Angeles, California
Park Kitchen – Portland, Oregon
Piccolo – Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Publican – Chicago, Illinois
Range – San Francisco, California
Saffron Restaurant & Lounge – San Francisco, California
Saison – San Francisco, California
Sprout – Chicago, Illinois
Spur Gastropub – Seattle, Washington
Staple & Fancy Mercantile – Seattle, Washington
The Tasting Kitchen – Venice, California
Tilth – Seattle, Washington
Ubuntu – Napa, California
wd-50 – New York, New York
Wexler’s – San Francisco, California

Diners can also find additional information on the Diners’ Choice Awards for the Top Foodie Restaurants in the U.S. by visiting the OpenTable “Dining Check” blog at http://blog.opentable.com.

Wendy’s restaurants and the Michigan Affiliates of Susan G. Komen for the Cure are kicking off a “Give a Dollar…Get a Dollar” fundraising initiative to help in the fight against breast cancer. For just a$1 donation, customers at participating Wendy’s restaurants in the state of Michigan can support the Michigan Affiliates of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and receive a $1.00 off coupon for a Wendy’s Combo Meal or Large Salad in return.

Starting September 19, 2011 through October 9, 2011 (or while supplies last), customers can donate $1 for a ribbon Pin-Up at participating Wendy’s in the state of Michigan. The customer can write their name on the Pin-Up and it will then be displayed in-store.  A special tear-off coupon is included on the Pin-Up and provides the customer with $1.00 off any Wendy’s Combo Meal or Large Garden Sensations Salad.  Wendy’s will donate approximately $.85 of each $1 donation to the Michigan Affiliates of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

“On behalf of the Komen Michigan Affiliates and the Komen Detroit Race for the Cure, we are grateful to have the support of Wendy’s Restaurants on this very important initiative,” said Chris Pearson, Komen Mid-Michigan Affiliate Executive Director. ”The dollars raised through the pink ribbon pin up promotion will make a significant impact on the breast health of people right here in Michigan, as well as Komen’s work to end breast cancer through funding national research.”

“We strive to keep Dave Thomas’ ideals and beliefs at the heart of the Wendy’s culture,” said Nancy Crawford, Wendy’s Field Marketing Manager for the state of Michigan. “One thing Dave believed was that everyone has a responsibility to give something back, and to help those in need. This fundraising effort to help in the fight against breast cancer is an important way we can give back to the communities where we live and work.”

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Komen Michigan Affiliates

Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. The Michigan Affiliates of Komen for the Cure are working to better the lives of those facing breast cancer in Michigan communities, joining more than one million breast cancer survivors and activists around the globe as part of the world’s largest and most progressive grassroots network fighting breast cancer. In 2010, through events like the Komen Race for the Cure, Komen Michigan Affiliates invested more than $2.5 million in community breast health programs throughout Michigan. Up to 75 percent of net proceeds generated by the Affiliates stay in Michigan; the remaining income funds national breast cancer research. For more information or to find an Affiliate near you please visit www.komen.org.

Wendy’s International, Inc., is one of the world’s most successful restaurant operating and franchising companies with more than 6600 restaurants worldwide.  More information about the company is available at www.wendys.com.

To celebrate 70 years in the barbecue business, Dickey’s Barbecue will hold a barbecue eating contest on September 15 with the chance to win a trip to the original Dickey’s Barbecue location in Dallas, Texas.

“I’m so excited about hosting the event,” said Maureen Woloszczuk, Vice President of GMW Carolina, Inc. which owns three area Dickey’s locations, including Raleigh. “North Carolina takes its barbecue very seriously and it makes sense that we would host the East Coast preliminaries.”

Anyone interested in participating is encouraged to go by the Dickey’s location at 170 East Davie Street in downtown Raleighprior to the event on September 15 and sign up.

“Everyone loves Dickey’s Barbecue, and for a community so enthralled with barbecue we anticipate a large, lively crowd at the event ready to eat some pulled pork sandwiches,” said Greg Woloszczuk.

The contestant who eats the most pulled pork sandwiches in six minutes will win a trip to Dallas to compete in the National Dickey’s Barbecue Eating Contest at the original Dickey’s Barbecue Pit.

“We are excited to celebrate 70 years in the barbecue business and wanted to make sure Dickey’s celebrated with communities across the country,” said Roland Dickey, Jr., the president of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. “I can’t wait to watch the finals and congratulate the national winner personally.”

Throughout September, Dickey’s will host five Barbecue Eating competitions across the country and then send each first place winner to Dallas for the national competition on October 18, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit’s 70th anniversary.

The original Dallas location is still open for business and Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is still owned and operated by the Dickey Family.

There are 171 locations in 39 states.

More information on Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is available at www.dickeys.com.

Franchising information is available at 866-340-6188.

Media Contact:
Amy Vercher
972-248-9899
avercher@dickeys.com

The 2011 wine grape harvest in the Arroyo Seco appellation is a bit behind schedule, thanks to an unusually cool, wet spring and summer. But the same conditions that have delayed the start of Crush have also combined to allow slow, gentle ripening and maturation of the area’s Pinot Noir fruit — making for a potentially very high quality crop. Newcomer Blair Vineyards, located in the eastern most tip of the Arroyo Seco AVA, will be conducting its second harvest.

“I estimate we’ll be picking Pinot Noir clone 667 the first week of October on our Delfina’s home estate,” comments ownerJeffrey Blair. “Clone 777 about a week after that and our Pommard 4 and 115 plantings near the middle of the month. We are looking at about 1.5 tons of fruit per acre, after thinning shoots and dropping fruit to help focus the vines. With a little more heat and no early fall rains, we should have a very high quality Pinot crop this year — the flavors already rock!”

The Blair property’s unique location at the upper end of the “Arroyo Seco cone” meant the vineyard was shielded from the unusual April freezes and rains that impacted much of the rest of the state. In addition, Jeffrey points out that “the Salinas Valley narrows at our doorstep, giving us consistent winds off Monterey Bay — this helps keep us dry and free of the mildew and rot problems experienced elsewhere.”

Blair Vineyards is the newest micro-estate jewel in the Arroyo Seco appellation. The Blair family has deep roots in Monterey County, farming there for five generations. Initial plantings of six acres are focusing on ultra-premium Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, two varietals perfectly suited to the rocky soils and cool climate of this northeast corner of the Arroyo Seco. Next year will see the family releasing its debut Pinot Noir vintage from the property.

Contact: Jeffrey Blair, 831.596.1505, jeffrey@jeffrey-blair.com

Orchestrate Hospitality Introduces Tiare Technology Innovation for Wireless Ordering on iPad Tablets to Showcase their Italian- and French-focused Wine Lists

CHERRY HILL, New Jersey (Profitable.com) Tiare Technology announced today that it has deployed its patented Wireless WineList™ solution at two leading, wine-oriented restaurants managed by Orchestrate Hospitality. Centro and Django restaurants in Des Moines, Iowa, will now offer their guests the Tiare iPad menu ordering solution for wine and cocktails.

The Wireless WineList application allows restaurant guests to easily view and order wines using a wireless Apple iPad tablet or other wireless device and Tiare’s proprietary software. Guests can use the tablets to browse the wine list to discover the breadth of wines offered. They can also quickly sort the wines to display by region, varietal, price range or other categories, or click to search the database and pinpoint a specific selection.

The system displays extensive information about the restaurant’s wines, including tasting notes, vintage information, and background on the winery, the region or grape varietals. Photos, wine labels, maps, videos and other information are also easily displayed.

“We selected Tiare’s Wireless WineList system because it allows our guests to effortlessly navigate the wine list. The system engages the guest and provides a unique and accessible way to experience our wine collections,” says Paul Rottenberg, President of Orchestrate Hospitality.

Tiare’s Wireless WineList system is designed to meet the needs of both the wine expert and the wine novice. It offers powerful tools to allow oenophiles to easily sort, analyze and locate a particular selection, view a vertical collection or explore regional specialties. Casual users can learn about the restaurant’s extensive offerings at their leisure, without the worry of intimidation.

The system is intended to complement, rather than replace, the personal attention of the sommelier or server. Guests can place several selections onto the system’s Consideration List™ for discussion with the restaurant’s staff. The system can also be configured to page the staff with the guest’s selection, or even place the order directly to the restaurant’s point of sale system.

Centro and Django are two iconic restaurants in downtown Des Moines, each with a distinctive brand and character. Centro is a lively, casually-upscale restaurant featuring Italian inspired dishes including coal-fired brick oven pizzas, wood-grilled specialties and house-made pastas. Django is a casual, brasserie-style restaurant offering everything you love about French food – without the attitude.

“Tiare’s design and content management tools have made it easy for us to showcase our Italian and French wine selections and convey the unique style and personality of our two restaurants through the technology,” says Rottenberg. “The system’s menus at Centro are designed to convey the sleek, sophisticated feeling of a modern Italian restaurant, while the screens on the Django iPads show the casual warmth of a neighborhood French bistro.”

“Our guests have really embraced the system, appreciating how easy it is to use and how quickly they can find the wine they are looking for,” reports Rod DeAngelo, General Manager of Centro. “The system gives a lot of information to our guests, including food pairing recommendations which help guide their wine selection and enhance their overall dining experience.”

“The Wireless WineList system encourages our customers to interact with the staff, and that allows us to offer a more personalized service experience,” says Don Tamillo, General Manager of Django. “The detailed wine descriptions provide an inspiration for discussion not only among fellow diners but also with our staff to determine a final wine choice.”

Paul Rottenberg is already seeing the financial and operational benefits from the system. “The Tiare Wireless WineList system is generating an increase in sales, as the customers are being exposed to wines they might not have noticed before on a traditional wine list.” Rottenberg goes on to say, “Not having to reprint the wine lists constantly brings not only a financial advantage, but also real benefits for the environment.”

The restaurants’ wine selections are easily displayed to the guest on the wireless touch screens. Not just for featuring wine, the Tiare Technology system also provides access to the restaurant’s extensive selection of specialty and classic cocktails, domestic and international beer, single-malt Scotch and other liquors, port and dessert wine.

“The Wireless WineList system gives a restaurant the tools to easily manage their wine offerings,” says Julie Werbitt, CEO of Tiare Technology. “Pricing, vintage and availability information can all be updated immediately, in real time. A guest is never disappointed by ordering a wine that’s out of stock – which can happen all too often with a paper menu.”

The system also allows the restaurant to enhance its relationship with the guests, by providing the option to email themselves their wine selections as a memento of their experience at the restaurant. The wine preferences of the guest can also be stored for future offerings and communication between the guest and the restaurant.

Werbitt adds, “Tiare’s Wireless WineList system can be tailored for any size restaurant and customized to complement any décor – making it the ideal solution for all restaurants looking to increase revenue through beverage sales.”

About Tiare Technology

Tiare Technology develops and markets to the global hospitality and leisure industry wireless communication products and software services, using patented technology, that increase revenue, generate labor savings and enhance customer service. The company offers solutions that allow guests at hotels, resorts, casinos, cruise ships, stadiums and other leisure locations to order food, beverages, merchandise and services using wireless devices featuring proprietary software and wireless technology. Tiare products include the intelliChaise®, VIPSeat™ Restaurant, VIPSeat™ Gaming, VIPSeat™ Stadium, Wireless WineList™ and Tiare GuestBook™ ordering systems. The solutions offer interfaces to major point of sale systems including Agilysys, HSI and MICROS. Tiare products seek to eliminate, where possible, the use of paper – promoting an eco-friendly platform to provide guests with information and services. The product platform has been granted U.S. and international patent protection (U.S. Patent 7,945,477). Founded in 2002, Tiare Technology is a privately held corporation based in New Jersey. For more information, visit www.tiaretech.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Orchestrate Hospitality

Orchestrate Hospitality is Central Iowa’s leading hospitality management and development company. Orchestrate’s client roster includes a number of prominent restaurants, hotels and a gourmet market. The company specializes in complete concept development and full-service management of daily operations. Orchestrate was founded in 2001 by Paul Rottenberg.

Centro is a casually-upscale restaurant featuring Italian inspired dishes including coal-fired brick oven pizzas, wood-grilled specialties and house-made pastas. The lively vibe of this urban eatery and its expansive menu has made Centro an iconic hot spot in downtown Des Moines.

Django is a casual, brasserie-style restaurant offering everything you love about French food – without the attitude. The restaurant features classic dishes such as Steak Frites and Duck Cassoulet, as well as fresh salads and juicy burgers made with house-ground beef. At the heart of the restaurant is an interactive chef station offering cheese, charcuterie and jet-fresh seafood from a beautiful raw bar.

For more information, visit www.ohospitality.com, www.centrodesmoines.com and www.djangodesmoines.com.

You don’t have to be a great chef to get a well-paying restaurant job. If you’re better at managing workers, coordinating the efforts of multiple departments and handling sticky situations than chopping carrots, consider taking on the role of the restaurant manager. Restaurant or food service managers need to have all of the same management skills as other industries require but must also have knowledge and experience in how a kitchen and dining room should run.

Restaurant management jobs involve all of the day-to-day operations of the restaurant. As the manager you’ll be responsible for ensuring the staff is properly trained, treats each other with respect and keeps on task. You will hire new employees and fire those that aren’t doing their job correctly. The restaurant manager is who coordinates shifts and fills in when the flu keeps half of the kitchen staff at home. On top of this restaurant management jobs also require you to do the basic paperwork of writing out schedules, handling some accountancy responsibilities and signing payroll checks.

Large, full-service restaurants may have a hierarchy of restaurant management. This usually consists of a general manager at the top, followed by a kitchen manager and a dining room manager. The kitchen manager is usually the executive chef, and a dining room manager may also be called a shift manager. Fast food or smaller establishments may just have a general manager and an assistant manager so that all shifts are covered.

Managers may also be responsible for helping the chef set menu items or ordering food supplies and equipment. This is the main part of this restaurant career that makes actual food service experience and training mandatory. If you don’t know how many pounds of chicken the restaurant needs or the differences between a grill and a stove top you’ll need more training before you can manage a restaurant.

The hours that restaurant management jobs require are balanced out by a fair salary. In May of 2008 the average annual salary was $46,000, with a top cap of about $75,000. Positions are constantly opening up across the country. If you can handle the heat of the kitchen you may find restaurant management to be the ideal career for you.

To search or post restaurant management jobs, please visit RestaurantRecruiter.com.

The National Restaurant Association (www.restaurant.org) today announced a month-long initiative to encourage restaurant and foodservice operators to participate in the 17^th Annual National Food Safety Education Month (NFSEM) this September. The campaign focuses on the importance of food safety education and training, while continuing to raise awareness of the industry’s commitment to food safety.

This year’s theme, “Lessons Learned from the Health Inspection,” is sponsored by SCA, a global hygiene company and makers of the Tork® brand of away-from-home paper products. The National Restaurant Association selected SCA as the sponsor of the campaign due to the company’s commitment to food safety education and dedication to hygiene product solutions.

“There is nothing more important than the health and safety of our guests at restaurants around the country, and National Food Safety Education Month highlights our industry’s commitment to serving healthful, delicious and safe meals every day,” saidDawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association. “Our industry serves 130 million guests daily, and we know that it’s critical to train our employees in safe food handling practices. Through our national campaign, we encourage the nation’s nearly one million restaurants to demonstrate their dedication to food safety.”

As part of this educational campaign, free weekly training activities, food safety tips and free posters are now available for download at www.ServSafe.com/nfsem. All NFSEM materials are based on the National Restaurant Association’s ServSafe® food safety training and certification program. ServSafe is the nation’s most widely accepted food protection manager program, with more than 4.6 million certifications awarded to date.

“Hygiene and food safety are key imperatives in our customers’ day-to-day business,” said Suzanne Cohen, Foodservice Segment Director for SCA Tissue North America. “Partnering with the National Restaurant Association for NFSEM to further educate the industry on these important topics ultimately creates a healthier environment for operators, employees and patrons nationwide.”

The curriculum for National Food Safety Education Month is broken down into five weekly sessions, each stressing different food safety basics and how they apply to the health inspection process. The sessions cover:

• How to work with a health inspector
• Handling food
• Cleaning and sanitizing
• Proper food storage techniques
• Handling utensils and equipment

Restaurant and hospitality industry professionals are encouraged to use these materials and participate in this national awareness campaign. The weekly training activities, food safety daily tips and posters can be used to supplement existing in-store food safety training. They communicate food safety concepts efficiently, and the weekly activities can be completed in less than 10 minutes.

The National Restaurant Association also provides a toolkit for restaurant operators to communicate their participation in National Food Safety Education Month to their guests. This toolkit includes the initiative’s logo, a news release for restaurants, sample tweets and email templates that promote involvement in the program. All these items are available for download at www.ServSafe.com/NFSEM. Participating restaurants are also encouraged to visit www.talktork.com to receive a consultation from a Tork Solutions Expert, in addition to a free trial of Tork products in honor of NFSEM.

While National Food Safety Education Month is celebrated in September, food safety is a priority year-round. ServSafe offers classroom and online training options in a variety of languages aimed at both managers and employees. The ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification is nationally recognized and accredited. Visit www.ServSafe.com or call (800) ServSafe (800-737-8723) for more information.

For more information about SCA, the Tork brand and its solutions for the foodservice industry, visit www.torkusa.com.

About the National Restaurant Association

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. We represent the industry in Washington, D.C., and advocate on its behalf. We operate the industry’s largest trade show (NRA Show May 5-8, 2012, in Chicago); leading food safety training and certification program (ServSafe); unique career-building high school program (the NRAEF’s ProStart, including the National ProStart Invitational April 27-29, 2012, in Baltimore, Md.) and college-level management program (ManageFirst); as well as the Kids LiveWell program promoting healthful kids’ menu options. For more information, visit www.restaurant.org and find us on Twitter @WeRRestaurants, Facebook and YouTube.

About Tork

The Tork brand offers a complete range of products and services within hygiene and cleaning for professional washrooms, healthcare, food service and industry. Through customer understanding and particular expertise in hygiene and sustainability, Tork has become a market leader in many segments and a committed partner to businesses in over 80 countries. Tork is a global brand in the SCA hygiene portfolio. To keep up with the latest Tork news and innovations, please visit: www.torkusa.com.

About SCA

SCA is a global hygiene and paper company that develops and produces personal-care products, tissue, packaging solutions, publication papers and solid-wood products.  Sales are conducted in some 100 countries. SCA has many well-known brands, including the global brands TENA and Tork. Sales in 2010 amounted to $14.5 billion (USD). SCA has about 45,000 employees. For more information about SCA, please visit: www.sca.com

About SCA in North America

SCA’s North American tissue division is one of the three largest producers of away-from-home tissue products in North America, supplying paper napkins, tissues, towels, specialty wipers, dispensers and soap used in commercial settings such as restaurants, office buildings, schools and healthcare facilities. Tork® products are made from 100-percent recycled content. SCA recycles more than 750,000 tons of paper a year; on average, more than 60 percent of those tons are post-consumer waste. The first American papermaker to earn EcoLogo™ certification, SCA also has earned Green Seal™ certification on many of its products. The company has more than 2,200 employees in the United States and Canada. More information is available at www.torkusa.com.

Have you ever considered attending a bartending school? Contrary to popular belief, bartending schools are still regarded as one of the most useful processes for upcoming bartenders. These bartending schools, despite what some bartenders may state, are considered by those hiring and do in fact make quite the difference. A 100 person survey done by BeABartender.com claims an astonishing 86% job placement rate within 45 days of completing the course. BeABartender.com conducted the survey following a spike in online registrations.

Bartending school will not only help you get confidence needed to get a job, but anyone can use them, at any time. According to BeABartender.com, recreational use has also increased. Over 25% of those who took the survey claim the reason for signing up was for personal interest rather than a new job or career choice. One of these graduates, John Paige, stated, “I originally took the course because I wanted to make drinks for friends during our parties, but soon after graduating I also needed to find employment. Using the knowledge I had learned I aced an interview, which included making a few drinks. I had a new, fun and well paying job behind the bar before the college semester even started.”

An issue with a hands on bartending school, especially for college students, is the cost and flexible schedules.Online bartending school, like BeABartender.com, offer an option to complete the course “at your own pace”. This allows anyone to complete the course, chapter by chapter. The cost for online schools is dramatically lower than the in person counterparts. In-class courses cost upwards of $500 whereas an bartending school online such as BeABartender.com is a fraction of the cost. BeABartender.com offers job placement within the users area, a plethora of tutorial videos and an online store to purchase any utensils that help expedite the learning process. This helps ensure that taking the class online is far more convenient, yet offers the same education as in-class options.

Just like many colleges are now allowing courses online, many trade and certification courses are doing the same. This online bartending school is refining their services and allow participants to feel the entire experience in a cost effective way. With their offerings, you can receive everything a normal brick and mortar class offers – minus the high cost and inconvenient hours.

Check out BeABartender.com if you’ve ever considered an online course to help you brush up on skills or get a new full or part-time job. Alternatively, as Taylor Davis said, “When I was done I was able to get a bartending job and do what I enjoyed doing most, make money and impress my friends.”

Summer is dying down but that doesn’t mean the jobs are. With holidays around the corner, experience is what you need, school is about to start, college students need jobs, and everyone needs cash. The economy may be down- but bartending jobs are on the rise and have historically been a steady job in all types of economic situations with high pay nights and great atmospheres for most people. Look into bartending courses online and let the money and fun roll in.

OnFast launched its service to the Restaurant industry today. Their suite of social media tools help restaurants market themselves across social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Additionally, OnFast’s Painless Blogging tool supplies professionally written documents containing search engine optimized keywords for the restaurant industry, which makes it easier to create blog posts and automatically update social networks.

“Most restaurant owners don’t have a lot of time to keep their social networks up to date. OnFast is a simple way to quickly manage social networks, including blogs, all from one easy to use dashboard,” remarked OnFast President Christopher Shepherd.

OnFast’s Social Coupon tool provides restaurants the ability to offer discount and promotional coupons to their customers, without any per coupon charges. These coupons are automatically posted to social networks and blogs, or can be exported for email campaigns. Current daily deals can also be listed directly on the restaurant’s website or Facebook page using OnFast’s proprietary coupon feed and Facebook Coupon App. OnFast’s easy to use Campaign Planning Calendar allows restaurants to quickly plan and schedule their future marketing efforts. Tracking the results of marketing campaigns is straight-forward, helping restaurants achieve their visibility goals at a glance. These features allow restaurants to efficiently leverage social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, in just a few minutes a week.

OnFast is accessible world wide via a web browser or mobile device at http://www.onfast.com/restaurant.html. OnFast offers its innovative social media tools as an affordable flat-fee monthly subscription, with no contracts, no per-coupon charges, and a no-risk 30-day free trial.

Founded in 2010 by serial Internet and travel technology entrepreneur Aaron Shepherd, OnFast is a cloud-based software as a service (SAAS) provider for the online coupon and social network marketing space. OnFast’s management team brings more than 30 years of experience in the software and Internet industries to provide customers with innovative and effective technologies. OnFast is headquartered in Naples, on Southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast. OnFast customers can learn more and sign up for the service at http://www.onfast.com/restaurant.html.

For more information contact Christopher Shepherd christopher(dot)shepherd(at)onfast(dot)com at 866-MYONFAST (866.696.6327). Follow us on Twitter: @OnFast. Connect with us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/onfast. Check out our blogs at http://blog.onfast.com and http://tech.onfast.com.

OnFast is a registered trademark and other OnFast product names, service names, slogans or logos referenced in this document are registered trademarks of OnFast, LLC. All other company, product or service names referenced in this website are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

This September, nationally syndicated television personality Art Ginsburg, A.K.A. Mr. Food, will share footage from his travels to Kennett Square, PA —the Mushroom Capital of the World—and five of his favorite ways to celebrate National Mushroom Month.

“I sampled lots of mushroom dishes during my visit and saw first-hand how versatile mushrooms are—they pair with just about everything, no matter how you cook ‘em,” said Mr. Food.

Inspired by the festivities in town, Mr. Food, the king of quick and easy, whipped up a simple grilling recipe for Mushroom Sliders featuring meaty portabellas. “The portabella’s hearty texture gives any burger a run for its money,” he said of the delicious dish.

Try this recipe at home and stay tuned to Mr. Food in September for more mouthwatering mushroom recipes.

Join the festivities! Follow Mr. Food’s five tips to celebrate mushrooms every day, every way throughout September:

1. Vote in the “Mushroom Masters” Competition: Visit Tastespotting.com once a week in September to cheer on top American food bloggers in a global mushroom photo recipe contest.
2. Discover Nature’s Hidden Treasure: Mushrooms are the star of the produce aisle thanks to their nutritional benefits – a natural source of vitamin D, B vitamins and antioxidants – value and versatility.
3. Go Pink to Support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Look for mushrooms in pink packages in support of breast cancer research at City of Hope, one of the nation’s leading cancer research institutions.
4. Devote a Day to Mushroom Meals: Mushrooms are kitchen staples that bring flavor and volume to any dish without adding significant calories, fat, cholesterol or sodium. Pick a day to add mushrooms to every meal. Make a frittata for breakfast. Fold them into a sandwich for lunch. Serve savory mushroom pasta for dinner. The possibilities are endless!
5. Cook Mushrooms Like a Pro: Click here to check out a collection of the best mushroom recipes and videos from the Mr. Food Test Kitchen.

The United States Department of Agriculture has officially proclaimed September to be National Mushroom Month. Follow the Mushroom Channel on Twitter and Facebook and visit www.mushroominfo.com for the latest news, recipes and ways to celebrate.

Mushroom Sliders

Yields: 4

Ingredients

2 large portabella mushrooms, stems remove
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup garlic herb spread
8 small slider rolls, split and toasted
8 tomato slices
8 red onion slices

Directions

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine mushrooms and vinaigrette. Close bag and gently toss until evenly coated. Marinate 30 to 60 minutes. Remove mushrooms to a plate and season both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat then coat with cooking spray. Place mushrooms on grill pan and cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning halfway through cooking, or until mushrooms are heated through.

Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Cut each mushroom into quarters. Spread garlic herb spread evenly on both sides of rolls. Top with mushrooms, tomato, and onion. Serve immediately.

About The Mushroom Council:

The Mushroom Council is composed of fresh market producers or importers who average more than 500,000 pounds of mushrooms produced or imported annually. The mushroom program is authorized by the Mushroom Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act of 1990 and is administered by the Mushroom Council under the supervision of the Agricultural Marketing Service. Research and promotion programs help to expand, maintain and develop markets for individual agricultural commodities in the United States and abroad. These industry self-help programs are requested and funded by the industry groups that they serve. For more information on the Mushroom Council, visit mushroomcouncil.org.

Outback Steakhouse tonight will give away an unprecedented one million free steak dinners to customers nationwide.  ‘The Great Aussie Steak Out’ is designed to help introduce consumers to Outback’s new wood-fire grill steak preparation and to celebrate Outback’s new menu offerings.

The free steak dinner consists of one, six ounce Outback Special Sirloin Steak masterfully prepared on the new wood-fire grill, and a choice of one side dish.  The special promotion is a first-of-its-kind for Outback Steakhouse as they show their continued commitment to making “choice” and personal preference key factors in striving to provide a best in class dining experience to all.

To learn more about the ‘The Great Aussie Steak Out’ and a chance to reserve one of the one million free Outback steak dinners, customers are encouraged to tune into their TVs tonight, Wednesday, August 24, 2011, at 9:01p.m./8:01p.m. (CST) on national and cable television stations across the country.

Customers can also visit www.greataussiesteakout.com and watch as information unfolds at 9:01p.m./8:01p.m. (CST).

To receive a message when The Great Aussie Steak Out arrives, text “OUTBACK” to 27438.

Outback Steakhouse was again voted #1 Best Steak in the 2010 Zagat Survey of National Full-Service Restaurant Chains for the second consecutive year.  Outback Steakhouse starts fresh every day to create the flavors that our mates crave. Best known for grilled steaks, chicken and seafood, Outback also offers a wide variety of crisp salads and freshly made soups and sides.  New creations and grilled classics are made from scratch daily using only the highest quality ingredients sourced from around the world.  For more information, please visit www.outback.com or http://www.facebook.com/outback.

Taco Cabana® introduces another Mexican favorite by adding all-new chicken and steak fajitas puebla tacos to its menu for a limited time.

The new fajitas puebla tacos are made with marinated steak or all-white meat chicken, topped with a mix of fresh pico de gallo, shredded lettuce and chopped bacon. For the final touch, Taco Cabana created a creamy avocado sauce made with avocados, jalapenos, sour cream and chopped cilantro topped off with a hint of fresh lime juice.

“The inspiration for the sauce came from the traditional avocado salsa we saw in restaurants and at street stands on our culinary team’s trip to Mexico last year,” said Smokey Waters, corporate chef of Taco Cabana. “We added our own spin by using sour cream to give it a smoother texture and a richer flavor.”

As part of its ongoing commitment to bring guests the traditional and emerging flavors coming out of Mexico, Taco Cabana’s culinary team will visit Mexico again this September to find additional inspiration for its menu.

“This latest offering comes as Taco Cabana continues to infuse its menu with the true flavors of Mexico,” said Todd Coerver, chief marketing officer at Taco Cabana. “We wanted to give our guests a new way to enjoy the fresh taste of avocados, which are indigenous to central Mexico and serve as a staple ingredient in traditional Mexican cooking – it’s all about infusing flavor into the fun at Taco Cabana.”

Inspiration from Puebla, Mexico

The creative blending of diverse ingredients is the hallmark of Mexican cooking, and in the state of Puebla, it is a passion. Legend has it mole poblano, a sauce that blends approximately 20 different flavors, originated in Puebla, as did chiles en nogada, a famous dish that represents the green, white and red of the Mexican flag (1).  The avocado found in a cave located inCoxcatlan, Puebla, Mexico that dates to around 10,000 BC is used to enhance many handmade Mexican specialties seen in open-air markets and restaurants throughout the region (2). Today, Taco Cabana draws on inspiration from areas such asPuebla to create dishes that appeal to guests while celebrating the restaurant’s Mexican heritage.

About Taco Cabana®: The Flavors of Mexico

In 1978, Taco Cabana began as a taco stand in San Antonio, with the unique recipes and ingredients that reflect our rich Mexican culture and food. With more than 156 restaurants in 3 states, Taco Cabana continues to redefine the Mexican fast-casual dining experience through ongoing menu and service enhancements. We are committed to providing our guests the true flavors of Mexico, served up in a relaxing, patio cafe environment. From our kitchens’ daily fresh-made tortillas and handmade salsas to our flame-grilled fajitas and refreshing margaritas, our commitment to quality lives on, making Taco Cabana one of the region’s most enduring and beloved Mexican food brands. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter for offers and updates from Taco Cabana or for more information, please visit www.tacocabana.com.

Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc.

Taco Cabana is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc., an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Carrols Restaurant Group, Inc., which is one of the largest restaurant companies in the United States. The Company operates three restaurant brands in the quick-casual and quick-service restaurant segments with 550 company-owned and operated restaurants in 16 states.   Carrols is also the largest Burger King® franchisee, based on number of restaurants.  In the Carrols’ family of companies, Fiesta Restaurant Group owns and operates two Hispanic Brand restaurant chains, Pollo Tropical® and Taco Cabana®. Carrols announced plans earlier this year to spin-off Fiesta Restaurant Group as a stand-alone public company.  The spin-off is anticipated to be completed later this year.

References

(1) – Wikipedia.com – Puebla ”Cuisine” – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puebla,_Puebla#cite_note-chilesnogada-32

(2) – Wikipedia.com – Avocado “History” – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avocado

‘The Season’ will introduce a new set of fans to the company’s lineup of interactiverestaurant and bar trivia games

CARLSBAD, Calif.  (Profitable.com)  NTN Buzztime, Inc. (NYSE Amex: NTN), a leading social entertainment and integrated marketing platform for bars and restaurants, is pleased to announce the launch of the company’s newest professional football game, The Season, to its entire network of thousands of customers.

Airing on Friday nights from September 9^th – January 27^th, Buzztime’s The Season enables football fans to join a nationwide team representing their favorite professional team in a trivia-based fantasy football game.  With The Season, Buzztime is building fan-based communities to show their team spirit against bitter rivals and compete head-to-head against other squads.  Players will also be encouraged to build camaraderie via The Season’s Facebook page through well-meaning “trash talk”.

The Season will mirror the 2011 professional football schedule, with its weekly gridiron matchups and big rivalries, culminating with a championship game on January 27^th.  Team members will compete on Friday evenings (8 PM ET/5 PM PT) at their favorite Buzztime location by correctly answering bar trivia questions.  Content for The Season is football-centric and will appeal to both the casual fan as well as the football junkie.  For more game details visit www.Buzztime.com/the-season.

The Season is the latest sports-themed bar and restaurant trivia game from Buzztime.  The company also offers fans the wildly popular and time tested QB1, an exciting football strategy game played in conjunction with live professional and collegiate football telecasts. For nearly 30 years, players have been challenged to put themselves in the quarterback’s cleats and predict the next play.

“Buzztime has a long and storied history of providing fun and engaging sports-centric games to our customers, such as QB1 and Race Day.  We are confident that The Season will appeal to a wide mainstream consumer audience that follows professional football and to those that might be new to the game,” commented Michael J. Bush, President and CEO, NTN Buzztime, Inc.  “The Season is about crowning a winning group of passionate fans who possess the best-rounded knowledge of football.  The Season also lets players get a jumpstart to the football each weekend by getting the action going on Friday so they won’t miss one snap on Saturday or Sunday.”

The Season Background:

• Join a team – Registered players can go to www.Buzztime.com and join forces with fans of their favorite professional football team.  Those players who have not previously joined a team will be able to do so when they log in.
• Head-to-head trivia – Each week, teams face off in head-to-head matchups.  The fans with the highest score at the end of the hour long trivia game will earn their team a victory.
• Season long competition – Spanning 16 weeks of pigskin sparring, the top 16 teams will earn a place in the playoffs.  The 16 teams will be in a bracketed four week, single elimination tournament to determine which teams have the smartest fans.  Additionally, players whose teams are eliminated are encouraged to jump on the “bandwagon” of one of the remaining teams.
• Prizing - Buzztime will run a series of exciting promotions throughout The Season and will award thousands of dollars in prize support.  Players can earn prizes for recruiting the most fans to their teams, playing every week, earning the most individual points and for a being a member of the championship team.
• Social media – Players are encouraged to interact and “talk trash” with each other via The Season’s Facebook page.

This bar promotion is the latest in a long line of programs in which Buzztime is helping its bar and restaurant customers increase their guest visits and create an event during slower weeknights that keeps consumers staying longer and spending more.

Buzztime employs its network of bars and restaurants to strategically reach targeted audiences in a unique way. Additionally, Buzztime engages 1,900,000 players who participate in nearly 50,000,000 bar trivia, cards and sports games each year on its network.

Buzztime provides clients with branded sports and interactive bar games that align with the brands’ marketing campaigns; live hosted trivia tournaments throughout the United States; and direct-to-consumer marketing initiatives through Buzztime’s social networking and targeted e-mail marketing campaigns.

About Buzztime

NTN Buzztime, Inc. (NYSE Amex: NTN) is a leading bar and restaurant social entertainment and integrated marketing platform. Trusted by 3,900 bars and restaurants in North America since 1985, Buzztime integrates trivia, card and sports games with in- and out-of-venue messaging and communication tools.  With 1,900,000 registered consumers and nearly 50,000,000 games played each year, Buzztime players spread the word and invite friends and family to their favorite Buzztime location to enjoy an evening of fun and competition.   With Buzztime entertainment and marketing solutions, bars and restaurants attract new customers, turn casual visitors into regulars, and give guests a reason to stay longer.  For the most up-to-date information on NTN Buzztime, please visit www.buzztime.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Buzztime, QB1, Race Day and the Season are trademarks or registered trademarks of NTN Buzztime, Inc.

Forward-looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements which reflect management’s current views of future events and operations, including but not limited to statements about game offerings and content, expanded offerings, customer appeal and engagement, game popularity, number of locations, new customers and customer behavior. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include the risks of adverse economic conditions, failure of customer and/or player demand, lower market acceptance or appeal of both existing and new products and services by particular demographic groups or audiences as a whole, termination of partnership and contractual relationships and the impact of competitive products and pricing. Please see NTN Buzztime, Inc.’s recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for information about these and other risks that may affect the Company. All forward-looking statements included in this release are based on information available to us on the date hereof. These statements speak only as of the date hereof, and NTN Buzztime, Inc. does not undertake to publicly update or revise any of its forward-looking statements, even if experience or future changes show that the indicated results or events will not be realized.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Don Williams
Williams Group Public Relations
760-707-4589
don@williamsgrouppr.com

INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT:
Kendra Berger
Chief Financial Officer
NTN Buzztime, Inc.
760-438-7400

Salt & Straw Ice Cream opens a new scoop shop in Portland’s Alberta Arts District at noon today. After a summer in their ice cream cart with a growing following for their unique and tasty flavors, Salt & Straw moves inside with five new flavors and one-of-a-kind sundaes, milkshakes and floats. They’ve collaborated with some ofOregon’s best farmers, producers, artisans and restaurateurs like Andy Ricker of Pok Pok, Steve Smith of Steve Smith teas andPaul Durant of Red Ridge Farms to create five new flavors, Banana Walnut with Spicy Monkey Caramel, Cinnamon Snickerdoodle, Three Berry Barbecue, Honey Lavender, and Big Hibiscus. For an entire list of flavors available at the store visit, www.saltandstraw.com.

“We opened with our little push cart just over two months ago and feel so lucky to have had such an incredible response,” saidKim Malek, founder. “We hope the new store on Alberta Street will become a gathering spot for the community.”

The name ‘Salt & Straw’ is a nod to the heritage of making ice cream from scratch in the 18th century with pots of cream in a tin pail surrounded by salt & straw. With the scoop shop opening, customers can watch the ice cream makers hard at work creating each flavor by hand – paying heritage to the history of ice cream.

The shop also embodies the company’s local and sustainable mission. Sarah Littlefield, a professional picker from Seattle Junk Love, hand selected vintage relics displayed throughout and the builder, Hammer & Hand, used reclaimed historicOregon wood throughout.

New Ice cream flavors:

• Banana Walnut with Spicy Monkey Caramel, made with walnuts and New Deal Distillery’s pepper-infused Hot Monkey Vodka
• Cinnamon Snickerdoodle, made with Red Ape Cinnamon from Eugene, OR, who not only make a perfectly spicy/sweet blend, but also donate part of the proceeds back to save the orangutans in Sumatra in trees where the cinnamon is harvested
• Three Berry Barbecue, made with Oregon Marionberries, Raspberries and Huckleberries and swirled with a sweet barbecue sauce
• Honey Lavender, made with high quality lavender from Red Ridge Farms in the Willamette Valley wine country and just the right amount of honey from some of the most loved bees in Oregon
• Big Hibiscus Creamsicle, made with Steve Smith’s Big Hibiscus tea, the perfectly tart hibiscus flowers, ginger, rose petals and elderflowers combine with coconut milk for a sweet, refreshing non-dairy treats

Sundaes

• Cubana Affagaddo, made with a sugary, sweet shot of Stumptown Coffee espresso, poured over our Double Fold Vanilla ice cream and a piece of cocoa nib shortbread
• Thai Sweet Sticky Rice with Pink Peppercorn Pineapple, made with Pok Pok’s sweet sticky rice recipe and topped off with handmade cinnamon croutons

Milkshakes

• Honey or Pomegranate Pok Pok Drinking Vinegar Milkshake
• Malted chocolate, vanilla or strawberry (made with Oregon malted barley)

Floats

• Crater Lake Root beer Float
• Mexican Coke with a Shot of Espresso and Vanilla Ice Cream
• Rhubarb Dry Soda with Strawberry Ice Cream

About Salt & Straw Ice Cream

Salt & Straw Ice Cream is a farm-to-cone ice cream company that offers unique and gourmet flavors. Their ice cream is handmade in small batches using only all natural dairy from Lochmead Dairy in Eugene – whose grass fed cows were all born right on the farm. They use the best local, organic and sustainable ingredients from Oregon farmers and artisans, such as Laurelwood Brewery, Stumptown Coffee Roasters and Olympic Provisions charcuterie, as well as imported flavors from small hand-picked farms from around the world. Scoops of ice cream are available on site in compostable cups or hand rolled ice cream cones and served with impeccable service at Salt & Straw’s old mercantile style scoop shop is located at 2035 NE Alberta St. Seasonal gift packs are available for online purchase and can be shipped anywhere in the United States. Find more information at www.saltandstraw.com,  Facebook at Salt and Straw Ice Cream or Twitter @SaltandStraw.

Successful London-based entrepreneur Jatinder Wasu has rescued Perfect Pizza, the fourth-largest pizza delivery franchise in the UK, after it ran into surprise financial difficulties in mid-July.

Perfect Pizza is unique in being the only one of the top four to have British roots – the other three originate from America. Over recent years Perfect Pizza has lost some direction and the takeover heralds a revival and much-needed new management.

“Perfect Pizza is the only major chain with franchises still available in so many big towns and cities,” said Wasu. “We have territories and opportunities that none of the other major players can offer. We are looking for new store-owners and franchisees throughout the country.”

“The products and distribution are all there. Consumers love our food. We have plenty of capacity for expansion and we are looking forward to serving Perfect Pizza to thousands more. The new store openings will also create employment opportunities which will be welcome news in the current economic climate.”

Based at Gailey Park, Staffordshire, Perfect Pizza employs 34 staff directly and well over a thousand more indirectly through its franchised stores. As well as saving jobs, the rescue comes at an ideal time for the brand. Whilst recession-hit consumers are going out less, demand for freshly-made pizza is still rising as most people clearly prefer it over the chilled and frozen offerings from shops and supermarkets.

A chartered accountant, Jat Wasu has various business interests including an attractive property portfolio and a leading care home. He has been looking for new challenges and retained City-based corporate finance advisers Eximus Capital to seek out opportunities.

The purchase price is not disclosed, but Wasu seems to have an eye for turnaround opportunities. “We had external backing for Jat, but this was never needed” said Eximus Capital’s MD William Brooks. The door is open for more capital to come in later, “but only once the chain has started to grow again.“

As Brooks puts it: “Jat Wasu has taken control of Perfect Pizza and he has done so decisively. He has no outside backers to answer to and he knows what to do next. This looks to be a turning point for the Perfect Pizza business.”

As the restaurant industry seeks growth during a sluggish economic recovery, a new report by Technomic and Restaurant Finance Monitor finds franchising of restaurant brands continues to be a major avenue pursued by chains. As a result of the recession franchisors began commonly offering incentives such as credit support and fee reductions to lure investors, and those practices have continued as traditional sources of credit are still not easy to come by for many potential franchisees.

“Franchising continues to be a way for chains to grow unit counts with less capital expenditure, allowing the franchisor to focus on system-wide branding initiatives while franchisees deal with operations at the unit level. It is an attractive scenario for many entrepreneurs as well. They can take advantage of the brand strength and resources of these national brands while reducing their own start-up and operating costs.”

The findings are part of the 2011 Top 400 Restaurant Franchise Company Report, produced by Technomic in conjunction with Restaurant Finance Monitor. Other findings include:

• The Top 400 restaurant franchise companies generated an estimated $33 billion in sales in 2010 and accounted for almost 10 percent of the total commercial restaurant industry’s $361 billion sales. Total units from the Top 400 came to 27,117, comprising nearly 5 percent of the commercial restaurant industry’s units.
• NPC International continued to dominate franchise sales with $934.8 million in 2010. As the largest Pizza Hut franchisee, it operated 1,136 restaurants at the end of last year, a slight decrease (-1.1 percent) from 2009.
• Eighty-seven percent of McDonald’s sales came from franchised stores for a total of $28.1 billion in 2010, whereas Subway’s system is 100 percent franchised, meaning that all $10.6 billion was generated by franchisees. The next largest chain in terms of total U.S. franchise sales was Burger King with $7.6 billion.

The 2011 Top 400 Restaurant Franchise Company Report is designed to help operators and suppliers identify the leading restaurant franchise companies in order to develop sales and marketing strategies; discover the brands behind the Top 400 franchise companies; understand where franchising opportunities exist within restaurant brands; and benchmark sales, units and growth against industry leaders.

The report’s comprehensive appendices sort the Top 400 companies alphabetically and offer concept breakdowns by franchise company and brand, regions of company operations, and selected franchise cost-structure analysis for leading restaurant brands. A listing of franchise company headquarters and selected contacts is also included.

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

Contacts
Press Inquiries: Darren Tristano, 312-506-3850, or dtristano@technomic.com
Purchasing Details: Patrick Noone, 312-506-3852, or pnoone@technomic.com
Report Details: Naomi Van Til, 312-506-3844, or nvantil@technomic.com

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.

About Restaurant Finance Monitor

Published monthly, the Restaurant Finance Monitor provides its readers with an in-depth analysis of the restaurant financing marketplace—the most complete understanding of financing markets that one can find anywhere in the restaurant industry. For more information about the Restaurant Finance Monitor visit www.Restfinance.com

Caribou Coffee, the nation’s second-largest coffeehouse chain, is now providing their guests meal options for lunch with the launch of their new Grown-up Grilled Cheese sandwiches.

Full of flavor and unexpected premium ingredients, Caribou’s Grown-up Grilled Cheese sandwiches are made with fixings like smoked Gouda, grilled chicken breast, caramelized onion and arugula pesto, for a modern twist on a classic. Guests can order any of the four varieties fresh from the oven: Three Cheese Classic, Gouda Turkey Pesto, Aged Cheddar Roast and Italian Chicken Melt.

“Our customers stop in for their favorite beverages all day long, so offering food that can be enjoyed for breakfast as well as lunch or dinner was a natural next step for Caribou.” said Alfredo Martel, senior vice president of marketing and product management. “We know guests love our wholesome Daybreaker breakfast sandwiches and handcrafted oatmeal in the morning, and we hope our premium grilled cheese sandwiches will have them coming back for a delicious lunch or dinner.”

The grilled cheese sandwiches will be offered nationwide at most Caribou Coffee locations. All four varieties range from $3.50 to $4.25, depending upon store location, so guests can easily afford to enjoy a premium-quality sandwich any day of the week. Chips or a cookie can be ordered with a grilled cheese sandwich for just a $1.

Guests can complete their meal with one of Caribou Coffee’s Signature Iced Teas: Peach Black, Pluot Green, Rooibos Lemonade and the new Hibiscus Apple Blossom, which is available for a limited time only. With a grilled cheese sandwich, it is the perfect lunch combination.

Stop in a Caribou Coffee and try one today, or visit CaribouCoffee.com for more information.

About Caribou Coffee

Founded in 1992, Caribou Coffee Company is one of the leading branded coffee companies in the United States, with a compelling multi-channel approach to their customers. Based on the number of coffeehouses, Caribou Coffee is the second largest company-operated premium coffeehouse operator in the United States. As of July 3, 2011, the Company had 554 coffeehouses, including 147 franchised locations, in 20 states, the District of Columbia and nine international markets. The Company’s coffeehouses aspire to be the community place loved by guests who are provided an extraordinary experience that makes their day better. Caribou Coffee provides the highest quality handcrafted beverages, foods and coffee lifestyle items with a unique blend of expertise, fun and authentic human connection in a comfortable and welcoming coffeehouse environment. In addition, Caribou Coffee’s unique coffees are available within grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, office coffee and foodservice providers, hotels, entertainment venues and e-commerce channels. Caribou Coffee is a proud recipient of the Rainforest Alliance Corporate Green Globe Award and is committed to operating practices that promote sustainability and environmental protection. For more information, visit www.cariboucoffee.com.

BullsEye Bars to utilize Buzztime bar games to provide more casual gaming fun to its customers

LOS ALTOS and CARLSBAD, Calif. (August 4, 2011) — Black Angus Steakhouse restaurants, and NTN Buzztime, Inc. (NYSE Amex: NTN), a leading social entertainment and integrated marketing platform for bars and restaurants, jointly announced their partnership to incorporate Buzztime’s bar games into the overall Guest dining experience at all BullsEye Bar locations.

The BullsEye Bar @ Black Angus Steakhouse, a new sports bar within existing Black Angus Steakhouses, offers “hi-def” food, drinks and sports in an energetic, casual environment.  Buzztime’s bar trivia will entertain Guests while providing the BullsEye Bar locations with a vehicle to communicate promotional offers, new food and beverage items, and other specials to their Guests.

Buzztime is known for providing innovative sports, cards and trivia games as well as themed-promotions and contests that keep customers coming back – especially on non-peak nights.  On average, according to an Arbitron® study, Buzztime players stay 30 minutes longer and spend $5 more per visit than other customers.

“Black Angus intends to take advantage of Buzztime’s innovative entertainment and targeted technology in our new BullsEye Bars to enhance our Guests’ overall experience,” noted Merry Taylor, President and CEO, Black Angus.  “We believe Buzztime will provide our Guests with an engaging gaming experience, and Buzztime’s customizable communications platform will allow us to keep Guests updated with all Black Angus and BullsEye Bar news.”

“The BullsEye Bar @ Black Angus Steakhouse is the perfect environment to play Buzztime’s interactive social games with its sports-loving crowd, energetic staff and craveable menu items,” added Michael J. Bush, President and CEO, NTN Buzztime, Inc. “Each BullsEye Bar offers a fun and spirited destination for Guests to enjoy their favorite sports and play Buzztime’s trivia bar and other games in a lively, comfortable environment.”

The first BullsEye Bar opened in September 2009 in Black Angus’s Burbank, California location. Since then the concept has grown to 26 BullsEye Bars with plans to open 3 additional locations in Sunnyvale and Montclair, California, and Albuquerque, New Mexico by September 2011.

Buzztime employs its network of over 3,900 bars and restaurants throughout the United States and Canada to strategically reach targeted audiences by providing clients with branded sports and interactive bar games that align with the brands’ marketing campaigns; live hosted trivia tournaments; and direct-to-consumer marketing initiatives through Buzztime’s social networking and targeted e-mail marketing campaigns.  Additionally, Buzztime engages 1,900,000 players who participate in 50,000,000 bar trivia, cards and sports games each year on its network.

About Black Angus

Headquartered in Los Altos, Calif., Black Angus Steakhouse was founded in 1964 by Stuart Anderson, a western rancher committed to serving high-quality steak, prime rib and seafood entrées at a great value with warm service in a relaxed but high-energy atmosphere.  Today, Black Angus operates 46 such steakhouses, serving fresh-cut Black Angus steaks, in a comfortable environment.  More than half of the Black Angus locations include a BullsEye Bar – a casual sports bar which features hi-def flat screen TVs, multiple viewing zones, free WiFi and an ongoing calendar of sports related promotions and contests. Located in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii, Black Angus Steakhouse has received “Best Steakhouse” awards from a variety of local and national publications and continues to gain recognition in popular restaurant magazines.  Black Angus does business as ‘Cattle Company Steakhouse’ in Alaska and Hawaii.

About Buzztime

NTN Buzztime, Inc. (NYSE Amex: NTN) is a leading bar and restaurant social entertainment and integrated marketing platform. Trusted by 3,900 bars and restaurants in North America since 1985, Buzztime integrates trivia, card and sports games with in- and out-of-venue messaging and communication tools.  With 1,900,000 registered consumers and 50,000,000 games played each year, Buzztime players spread the word and invite friends and family to their favorite Buzztime location to enjoy an evening of fun and competition.   With Buzztime entertainment and marketing solutions, bars and restaurants attract new customers, turn casual visitors into regulars, and give guests a reason to stay longer.  For the most up-to-date information on NTN Buzztime, please visit www.buzztime.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Forward-looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements which reflect management’s current views of future events and operations, including but not limited to statements about game offerings and content, expanded offerings, customer demographics, returns, stays and spending, market and audience reach, number of locations, and player participation. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include the risks of adverse economic conditions, failure of customer and/or player demand, lower market acceptance or appeal of both existing and new products and services by particular demographic groups or audiences as a whole, termination of partnership and contractual relationships and the impact of competitive products and pricing. Please see NTN Buzztime, Inc.’s recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for information about these and other risks that may affect the Company. All forward-looking statements included in this release are based on information available to us on the date hereof. These statements speak only as of the date hereof, and NTN Buzztime, Inc. does not undertake to publicly update or revise any of its forward-looking statements, even if experience or future changes show that the indicated results or events will not be realized.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Stacy Schulist
Director of Marketing
Black Angus Steakhouse
650-383-6569
sschulist@blackangus.com

Don Williams
Williams Group Public Relations
760-707-4589
don@williamsgrouppr.com

BUZZTIME INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT:
Kendra Berger
Chief Financial Officer
NTN Buzztime, Inc.
760-438-7400

The Oak Ridge Boys, on fire with “Elvira” and a whole lot more, will release their new It’s Only Natural CD through the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® exclusive music program on September 19, 2011. The CD celebrates the thirtieth year of “Elvira” with a rerecording of that signature hit along with six other hits plus five new songs. In addition to the CD, the group will celebrate another history-making milestone on August 6 when they’re officially inducted into the Grand Ole Opry®, the revered home of country music.

“Ron originally produced ‘Elvira’ and all of our gold and platinum albums. This is Michael’s ninth project co-producing with Duane.”

Today’s Oak Ridge Boys, Richard Sterban, Duane Allen, William Lee Golden and Joe Bonsall have been together since 1973. The group started as gospel singers, became a top act in country music and then crossed over to pop with “Elvira” in 1981. The song became the group’s fourth No. 1 country hit, reached No. 5 on the pop charts, won the group a Grammy® award and went on to become one of only a handful of singles ever to go double platinum. The “Elvira” rerecording on It’s Only Natural is certain to spark some old memories and Oom Poppa Mow Mow its way into some new ones.

“The heart of the CD was inspired by a collection of time-honored songs, but its soul comes from the collaboration we had on this project with talented producers Ron Chancey and Michael Sykes,” said Joe Bonsall. “Ron originally produced ‘Elvira’ and all of our gold and platinum albums. This is Michael’s ninth project co-producing with Duane.” The collection of songs includes former Top Ten Billboard hits “Lucky Moon,” “No Matter How High,” “Gonna Take a Lot of River,” “Beyond Those Years” and “True Heart.” “Louisiana Red Dirt Highway”was a No. 1 CMT video hit for William Lee Golden as a solo project. One of the new songs, “Sacrifice…for Me,” written by Joe Bonsall, is dedicated to America’s heroes. The CD will be available exclusively at all Cracker Barrel locations.

“The Oak Ridge Boys’ authenticity and ability to connect with multi-generational audiences make them a perfect fit with our guests and our brand,” said Julie Craig, marketing manager for Cracker Barrel. “We’re delighted to celebrate their 30 year anniversary of ‘Elvira’ and to offer our guests this special CD as part of our exclusive music program. We’re also thrilled to know that in just a few days, they will become official members of the Grand Ole Opry. What a wonderful and well-deserved honor!”

It’s Only Natural is the latest in Cracker Barrel’s exclusive music program. On July 25, Cracker Barrel released Jason Michael Carroll’s all-country Numbers with 11 new songs and one previous hit. On May 16, Cracker Barrel released Teddy Gentry’s Best New Nashville with original music from 12 talented new artists. On May 2, Cracker Barrel released Randy Travis’ self-titled album Randy Travis. In March of this year, Cracker Barrel released Kenny Rogers’ The Love of God, which debuted at #8 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and #2 on the Top Christian Albums chart. In January 2011, Cracker Barrel released The Grascals & Friends – Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin, which debuted at #1 on Billboard magazine’s Bluegrass Albums chart and at #26 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. In November of 2010, Cracker Barrel released Smokey Robinson’s Now & Then, which debuted at #19 on Billboard magazine’s R&B chart and was nominated for an NAACP IMAGE AWARD. September saw the release of the self-titled Rodney Atkins, which includes four #1 hits, and also the release of Mandy Barnett’s Winter Wonderland, which offers up all the authentic sounds of holiday traditions. In July, the company released Craig Morgan’s That’s Why – Collector’s Edition, and in May the release of Wynonna’s Love Heals debuted at #7 on the Billboard Magazine Top Country Albums chart. February’s release of Dailey & Vincent Sing the Statler Brothers debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Bluegrass Albums chart, where it spent nine weeks in the top position and 18 weeks overall in one of the three top positions. One of its songs was nominated for a Grammy^® award. Over the last few years, Cracker Barrel has released exclusive CDs with Alan Jackson, the Zac Brown Band, George Jones, Montgomery Gentry, Dolly Parton, Bill Gaither, Ricky Skaggs, Aaron Tippin, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Josh Turner, Amy Grant, Kenny Rogers, Sara Evans and Charlie Daniels.

Tracks on It’s Only Natural:

1. What’cha Gonna Do? (Steven J. Williams, Wil Nance & Sherrie Austin)
2. True Heart (Michael James Bruce Clark & Don Schlitz)
3. Before I Die (Woody Mullis & Trey Matthews)
4. Gonna Take a Lot of River (Mark Henley & John Kurhajetz)
5. No Matter How High (Even Stevens & Joey Scarbury)
6. The Shade Comes Free with the Tree (Shane Decker & Troy Jones)
7. Elvira (Dallas Frazier)
8. Louisiana Red Dirt Highway (Vernon Rust)
9. Beyond Those Years (Troy Harold Seals & Eddie F. Setser)
10. Wish You Could Have Been There (Steven Dall, Casey Marshall & John Kennedy)
11. Lucky Moon (Mark Wright & Doug Johnson)
12. Sacrifice… For Me (Joe Bonsall)

For more information: http://oakridgeboys.com/natural

About Cracker Barrel

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store provides a friendly home-away-from-home in its old country stores and restaurants. Guests are cared for like family while relaxing and enjoying real home-style food and shopping that’s surprisingly unique, genuinely fun and reminiscent of America’s country heritage…all at a fair price. The restaurant serves up delicious, home-style country food such as meatloaf and homemade chicken n’ dumplins as well as its made from scratch biscuits using an old family recipe. The authentic old country retail store is fun to shop and offers unique gifts and self-indulgences.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBRL) was established in 1969 in Lebanon, Tenn. and operates 603 company-owned locations in 42 states. Every Cracker Barrel unit is open seven days a week with hours Sunday through Thursday, 6 a.m. – 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 6 a.m. – 11 p.m. For more information, visit crackerbarrel.com.

Imagine being in a hurry between meetings and needing to find a nearby restaurant for a fast lunch. The QuickClick Restaurants app can locate and map places to go with one button tap. Or realizing that you’re out of cash. A single click of the ATM app shows the nearest locations.

In developing software for the QuickClick Locale series, Marketimpacts.com took an approach different from other developers. “Many apps try to be too many things to too many people” said Don Cowan, the lead QuickClick apps developer and Director of Software Engineering at Marketimpacts.com. “As a result, it can take valuable time to scan through a sequence of app screens to find what you’re looking for. We made speed and ease of use the top priority in our design.”

Marketimpacts.com developed individual QuickClick apps for finding places such as ATMs, coffee, fast food, gas stations, golf courses, health food, lodging, nightlife, parking, restaurants, shopping, and taxis.

All the information needed from the user is entered on a single screen. That screen was designed and tested to deliver a high level of efficiency. Developers put the apps through a battery of tests for ergonomic, technical and usability factors.

“It’s amazing how complex and challenging the design of a small smartphone app screen can really be” said Cowan. “You have to take into account the reach of thumbs, the size of fingertips, the size and readability of text, the time to enter information, colors, field placement and many other factors. There’s an art to writing software for small screens.”

“We did extensive testing with focus groups and learned a lot about how people actually use their devices and what works and doesn’t work for most people. As a result, we’ve had extremely positive feedback from our early users.”

In their first few weeks of availability, the QuickClick apps have been downloaded in over 50 countries, according to statistics from the Android Developers website.

QuickClick apps are fully integrated into the functionality of the smartphone or tablet.  For example, the device’s Contacts app has access to information found by QuickClick. This is often not the case with other apps. Many apps build their own “walled off city,” making information exchange both difficult and complex. As a result, QuickClick apps fully exploit mapping capabilities such as directions, navigation, satellite views, traffic conditions, street views, reviews, and ratings.

The QuickClick apps are available for download on the Android Market and more information can be found on the QuickClick Apps web page. To find the apps from a smartphone or tablet, search the Android Market for “QuickClick Apps”.

The Marketimpacts.com team develops software for smartphones, tablets and PCs.

Marketimpacts, QuickClick and Locale are trademarks of Arelinda Technology Group, Inc.

Enjoy the Summer at Scottsdale Quarter – for shopping, dining, and entertainment. The outdoor layout of Scottsdale Quarter is good for the whole family, especially with the Splashing Fountain for the kids (and adults) to run through to cool down in the desert heat. Al fresco dining and cool summer menus make dining at Scottsdale Quarter a delight.

Scottsdale Restaurants offer “Lunch at the Quarter”. The Scottsdale Lunch Card offers 25% off of Lunch until August 31, 2011 at Brio Tuscan Grille, Coal Burger, TK’s Urban Tavern, Narcisse Champagne and Tea Lounge, Tanzy, Parc Central, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, or Prime Bar.

Scottsdale Quarter Shopping Center is Scottsdale’s newest and hippest shopping and eating destination. Shop at the Apple Store, A/X Armani Exchange, H&M, Nike, West Elm, then stop by one of the Scottsdale Quarter restaurants for lunch, tea, or dinner. Be sure to check out The Quarter and see what’s new in restaurants in Scottsdale.

With restaurants and lounges it would be a challenge to find anywhere else in Arizona, Scottsdale Quarter promises to become the Valley’s premier destination for world-class cuisine. Each restaurant offers a one-of-a-kind atmosphere – from 1930’s Hollywood to old-world Tuscany and modern Mediterranean. Nightlife at The Quarter will be just as unique with lounges and bars ranging from ultra-contemporary to retro-cool.

BRIO TUSCAN GRILLE
Brio Tuscan Grille is a casual, white tablecloth restaurant serving northern Italian cuisine.
Restaurant hours: Sun-Thurs 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm Phone: 480-607-1100

COAL BURGER
Coal Burger is a fast casual burger concept based on fresher ingredients and coal fired flavor. Using all natural products and ingredients, in both their build out and their food, they are revolutionizing the fast casual concept. Developed and owned by the founders of Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, Coal Burger uses a coal-fired brick oven to flavor their all grass-fed beef burgers. The Coal Burger menu also features fresh made salads, gelato shakes, and a wide variety of natural and organic beverages. Restaurant hours: Mon – Sun 11am-9pm    Phone: 480-596-1234

EDDIE V’s PRIME SEAFOOD
Eddie V’s Restaurants, Inc. is setting the standard for fine dining, featuring award-winning concepts that focus on the freshest, quality ingredients, exciting atmosphere and a staff that is dedicated to every detail.
Lounge Hours: Mon-Thur: 4pm-11pm, Fri-Sat: 4pm -12am, Sun: 4pm-10pm
Restaurant Hours: Mon-Thur: 5pm-10pm, Fri-Sat: 5pm-11pm, Sun: 5pm-10pm
Phone: 480-730-4800

GRIMALDI’S PIZZERIA
A taste of NY comes to Scottsdale Quarter in Scottsdale. Famously known for their thin crust, coal fired brick-oven pizzas and calzones, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria offers over 100 years of pizza making traditions. In addition to their world famous pies, Grimaldi’s serves up freshly prepared salads and desserts in an upscale yet casual, family-oriented pizzeria.
Restaurant hours: Sun-Thur: 11am-10pm, Fri & Sat: 11am-11pm    Phone: 480-596-4070

MENCHIE’S FROZEN YOGURT
Menchie’s customers help themselves to an unlimited mix of yogurt and toppings at a convenient self-serve station with more than 100 rotating flavors and more than 60 rotating toppings. After crafting the perfect mix, the yogurt is weighed and paid for by the ounce. Menchie’s uses the highest quality frozen yogurt and offers nonfat, low carb, non-dairy, no sugar added, kosher and gluten-free soft serve options. Restaurant hours: Sun-Thur: 11am-10pm, Fri & Sat: 11am-11pm. Phone: 480-219-6880

NARCISSE CHAMPAGNE & TEA LOUNGE
This unique Champagne Lounge is suited to fulfill the desires and needs of the affluent self-loved characters from all the surrounding areas of Scottsdale to metro Phoenix. The champagne bar will serve as an upscale destination with an air of sophistication and sensual style. The atmosphere inter mingles genres of stately old world opulence with a nuance of modern charm. Narcisse is a unique gathering place intended to stimulate the senses of taste sight and sound. Its progressive atmosphere will tease, excite and celebrate these senses continually throughout the experience. Restaurant hours: Mon – Closed, Sun – Thurs 2pm– til Close, Fri–Sat: 2pm- 2am, Tue– Fri: Tea Time 2pm–6pm Phone: 480-588-2244

PARC CENTRAL
Parc Central will feature contemporary international cuisine in an high energy atmosphere composing of three lounge areas, a private dining room, outdoor dining as well as a progressive menu, happy hour and late night menu. Restaurant hours: Mon-Thur 11am-9pm; Fri-Sat 11am-10pm; Sun 11am-8pm    Phone: 480-907-5333

PRESS COFFEE
Press Coffee Roasters takes an artisanal approach to roasting and is only done in small batches; this the best way to maintain a high level consistency and quality. Coffee is sourced and roasted from various regions all over the world. After selecting the best representative coffees, the roasting process is fine-tuned to bring out the best inherent flavor in each coffee. It is a time consuming process, but ensures that only great coffees will bear the Press Coffee Roasters name. Restaurant hours: Mon-Thurs 7am-9pm; Fri 7am-10pm; Sat 7:30am-10pm; Sun 8am-6pm    Phone: 480-718-9762

PRIME BAR
SOPHISTICATED. SEASONAL. SUSTAINABLE…
A unique, contemporary ale house featuring local products and brews Enjoy distinctively delicious American cuisine at this urban kitchen + bar; featuring an array of appetizers, salads, two-handed sandwiches and specialty entrees, all made with fresh local and regional ingredients. Behind the bar, primebar also offers an outstanding wine list, local micro-brews and a large selection of hand-crafted specialty cocktails. This Contemporary restaurant is ideal for lunch, dinner and cocktails. Restaurant hours: Mon – Sun: 3pm -2am. Phone: 480-822-6200

THE SALT CLUB at iPIC THEATRE
Find The Salt Club just inside the lobby of iPic. The hip and stylish Salt Lounge offers a place to relax, in the lounge area before or after a movie, a perfect destination for the night’s festivities, at the bar or on the dance floor. With a custom menu of creative, fresh cocktails and appetizers designed by world renowned mixologist Adam Seger and a live DJ on the weekends, Salt can satisfy all any craving. For those more significant nights, The Salt CLub is also available for private events. Restaurant hours: Sun-Thur: 10am-1am; Fri-Sat: 10am-2am Phone: 480-483-3232

STINGRAY SUSHI
Find a unique blend of upbeat energy with a spirit of Japanese cuisine and tradition only at Stingray. Restaurant hours: 11:00 a.m.-2:00 a.m    Phone: 480-427-2011

TANZY
Tanzy uses a new age approach to Mediterranean cuisine making it a unique addition to the Scottsdale scene and combines stylish elegance with an innate sense of fun. The executive chef orchestrates a symphony of flavors with each dish, using fresh, natural ingredients and a passionate belief in capturing the essence of the basics. From the dining room, guests are privy to the restaurant’s superb decor, rich textured woods, and dramatic copper ceilings, all while experiencing attentive service and enjoying breathtaking mountain views.A semi private dining room is also available for events.
Restaurant hours: Sun-Thur: 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat: 11am-12am Phone: 480-483-3255

TK’S URBAN TAVERN
TK’s Urban Tavern puts a contemporary twist on the timeless tavern tradition. Located in the heart of the bustling Scottsdale Quarter, this neighborhood mainstay attracts area visitors, families and foodies alike. Guests can relax in the warm dining room or the comfortable bar and savor the aromas from the open show kitchen. Serving mouthwatering classic American fare, handcrafted cocktails and a carefully selected wine list in a casual setting yet sophisticated design, TK’s Urban Tavern is also the perfect stop after a long day at work, or power shopping at one of the area’s premiere retail destinations. Daily Happy Hour with great discounts on Food and Spirits. Special on Mon – Tue: Pizza and a bottle of House Wine $25
Restaurant hours: Mon-Thurs: 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat: 11am-10am., Sun 12-6pm.
Happy Hour: 4-7pm Phone: 480-664-0873

TRUE FOOD KITCHEN
True Food Kitchen offers a globally inspired, seasonal menu appealing to anyone seeking a more balanced lifestyle. True Food Kitchen celebrates high quality locally and regionally sourced ingredients to create a pure, simple menu that tastes great while nourishing mind, body and spirit. Restaurant Hours: Mon-Thur: 11am – 9pm, Fri: 11am – 10pm, Sat: 10am – 10pm, Sun: 10am – 9pm    Phone: 480-265-4500

COMING SOON:
MINIBARBERSHOP
Minibarbershop, a dynamic new men’s barbering experience offering a comfortable modern atmosphere to groom, shop, drink and eat, is pleased to be adding its second Arizona location at Scottsdale Quarter. A strategic partnership with “Malin and Goetz” allows them to provide the highest quality products to be used on customers as well as being sold in the retail gift and grooming shop. A full menu is served in the minibar compliments of the renowned “Vincent’s on Camelback”. The entire experience would not be complete without a full range of beer, wine, champagne, sake and port, but most importantly all beers are only $2, all day every day… Please feel free to Get Buzzed at the Minibarbershop with $20 haircuts and $2 beers.

DOMENICKS STEAKHOUSE
The restaurant is set to open Sept. 23. The new venture was created by Michael Mastro, Dennis Mastro, Jeffrey Mastro and Scott Troilo, who together also launched the Mastro’s and Ocean Club restaurant concepts. The restaurant will be a two-level, 10,500-square-foot facility with capacity for 350 people. It will offer private dining for social events and business gatherings.

On the heels of a new name, a revamped web site and a significant market expansion,  Savored, the web’s leading service for accessing insider pricing at premier restaurants nationwide, announces today a partnership with  OpenTable, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPEN) to provide Savored 30% Off Deals on OpenTable.com.  The Savored program debuts today on the San Francisco Bay Area homepage of OpenTable and will expand to other U.S. markets over time.

The extension of Savored dining offers to the OpenTable network, which seats more than 7 million diners each month, is designed to help fill more restaurant tables that would otherwise go empty and to streamline operations by integrating with the OpenTable Electronic Reservation Book at the host stands of participating restaurants.  The Savored offers provide diners with 30 percent off the price of their entire meal at premier restaurants on select dates and times in exchange for a $10 reservation fee.

“By partnering with OpenTable, we will be able to provide our marquee restaurant partners across the country with additional exposure to and seamless redemption from diners,” says Ben McKean, Chief Executive Officer of Savored. “We are excited to further develop our service with OpenTable and to continue delivering value to both our restaurant partners and our diners, who look to discover the best restaurants across the country.”

“Savored dining deals complement our existing offers programs, including Spotlight and 1,000-point tables, by providing compelling promotions in association with specific dates and times – a great value for diners and a powerful tool for restaurants to grow their businesses profitably,” said Matt Roberts, Chief Executive Officer of OpenTable.  “Savored has a broad selection of great restaurants offering an appealing promotion, and we believe that by working together we can enhance the experience and benefits for both restaurateurs and diners.”

OpenTable diners can access the new offers program by visiting the Deals and Local Events section on the San Francisco Bay Area section of OpenTable.com.  From there, diners can quickly see a list of all restaurants participating in 30% Off Deals and then find and book qualifying reservations.   For a table of four OpenTable diners with an average estimated dining check totaling $170, 30% off translates into a savings of more than $40 after accounting for the $10 reservation fee.

Once the diner makes a reservation, that reservation is automatically flagged in the restaurant’s OpenTable Electronic Reservation Book as a Savored offer booked via OpenTable so that Savored’s commitment to discretion is maintained: diners don’t need to print and present paper coupons or certificates to redeem their deals.

“Our partnership with Savored has allowed us to increase our reservations at times when tables may have otherwise gone unseated,” says Jon Sloane, manager of Mountain View’s Michelin recognized Chez TJ. “It’s important that we always have total control over the amount of tables we discount, so the combined effort of Savored’s business model coordinated with the ability to utilize our OpenTable Electronic Reservation Book for redemption is truly the perfect match for offering diners premium dining experiences.”

Savored currently serves Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. with over 500 high-end restaurant partners.

About Savored

Savored is a members-only service offering insider pricing of 30% off all food and drink at leading restaurants in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. With Savored, members access a curated selection of restaurants, book reservations online and enjoy 30% discounts discreetly applied to their final bill. The company’s mission is to help members enjoy unforgettable dining experiences. For more information, visit  Savored.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.

Franchise consultants with iFranchise Group (www.ifranchisegroup.com), a leading franchise consulting firm based in the Chicago area, recently cited several market factors and franchisor success stories that point to a strong improvement in the overall health of the restaurant franchising sector.  

Since the recession began, the tight credit market and lack of financing options had affected most franchises, and hampered their ability to sell and open additional locations. Recent improved access to capital and other factors are helping franchisors, especially those in foodservice, get back on track.

“While we are still in a tight credit market, franchise financing is much better than it has been over the last two years,” states Mark Siebert, CEO of iFranchise Group. “Franchisees are finding it easier to get the funding they need to open units, and we’re seeing more restaurant franchisors hit, and even exceed, their franchise growth goals as a result.”

Improved credit availability is not the only factor that is helping restaurant franchising climb out of the recent recessionary period. Current labor and real estate conditions, while challenging for individuals and property owners, are actually favorable for franchise systems looking to expand.

Continues Siebert, “The availability of quality labor is unlike what we’ve seen in just about any other period. There are more qualified workers out there looking for employment, and employers are able to hire them less expensively than before.”

In addition to advantageous labor and wage conditions for employers, franchise systems are also benefitting from an increased availability of prime restaurant locations, and the fact that landlords are more willing to negotiate lease terms than they had been in the past.

“The recession caused a high number of restaurants to shutter,” adds Siebert. “This in turn has opened up the market of desirable locations. Faced with vacant properties in their portfolios, owners and landlords are cutting deals and offering incentives that are simply unprecedented. There hasn’t ever been a better time for a franchise restaurant owner to be able to get favorable terms on space and lease options.”

Given the shift in market conditions facing restaurant franchises, iFranchise Group franchise consultants and executives point to a number of their young foodservice franchise clients that have seen dramatic sales and expansion in recent months:

• How Do You Roll?, an Austin, Texas-based alternative sushi bar, is experiencing rapid growth. The chain, founded in 2009 and first franchised in 2010, has over 65 franchises contracted to open in Texas, Florida, and California over the next eight years, including 10 slated to open in 2011 alone.
• Newk’s Express Cafe, with the original founders of McAlister’s Deli at its helm, has sold 70 franchises since the beginning of 2010, with 115 overall in development and plans to continue on an aggressive growth track in the months and years ahead.
• Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, another Texas-based fast casual dining chain which features a Baja-style Mexican food menu with a cult-like customer following, has sold 130 franchises with very limited franchise marketing efforts.
• Hot Head Burritos, an Ohio-based concept founded by a Subway franchisee which started franchising in 2010, will have 28 locations open by year end and 50 in some stage of development.

Siebert concludes, “All signs point to an ongoing period of healthy growth in restaurant franchising. For restaurant franchisors that have a compelling brand and a concept that is working in ‘the new economy,’ there is a booming market for franchise sales.”

About iFranchise Group:  iFranchise Group (www.ifranchisegroup.com), is a leading franchise consulting firm that offers the skills of the nation’s top professionals in franchise strategic planning, operations training and documentation, franchise marketing and sales, advertising fund management, franchise recruitment, and development of Internet-based applications for emerging and established franchise companies worldwide.

Buzztime bi-national competition to determine once and for all who are the smartest bar trivia patrons

CARLSBAD, Calif. (Profitable.com) NTN Buzztime, Inc. (NYSE Amex: NTN), a leading social entertainment and integrated marketing platform for bars and restaurants, is pleased to announce the top winners in the company’s first round of regional competitions to crown the Smartest Bar. Buzztime challenged its network of thousands of bar and restaurant customers to compete head-to-head answering sports, art, history and pop culture bar trivia questions.

Spanning two countries and 10 different time zones, thousands of trivia buffs have played this bar game every Wednesday night throughout June in their quest to have their favorite watering holes deemed the Smartest Bar. Participants were quizzed to see if they could provide the right answers to questions in the following categories: The Sciences, The World, The Shows, The Past, The Games and the Arts.

“Our players eagerly pulled up their barstools and participated in Buzztime’s Smartest Bar competition. We experienced more than a 10% increase in games played compared to Wednesday nights at the same time prior to June,” noted Michael J. Bush, President and CEO, NTN Buzztime, Inc. “Our players have a lot of pride and allegiance to their local bar or restaurant, and this competition proved to be a fantastic way for them to take that pride nationwide and vie for the crowning achievement of Smartest Bar.”

Bars with the top three scores in the regional rounds advance to the November finals – the top scores will be determined by the location’s average of the top five player’s scores. In addition, Buzztime will award a ‘Wildcard’ spot for each of the 10 regions to those bars that have the highest participation or cumulative total points. The top regional winners in the June 2011 round of competition are:

PST 1 – Danny Ks Cafe and Billiards, Orange, CA

MST 1 – Rembrandts, Calgary, AB

CST 1 – George Wellington Esquire Club, Sault Ste Marie, ON

CST 2 – Buffalo Wild Wings Ames, Ames, IA

CST 3 – Buffalo Wild Wings Creve Coeur, Creve Coeur, MO

CST 4 – Mezzanine Lounge, Houston, TX

EST 1 – Broadway Station, Astoria, NY

EST 2 – Blue Goose Sports Cafe, Cincinnati, OH

EST 3 – Rochester Mills, Rochester, MI

EST 4 – Hooters of Tallahassee, Tallahassee, FL

The next regional winners, announced after the September round of Buzztime’s Smartest Bar competition, will be invited to participate in the Smartest Bar finals taking place this November where the winning bar will be crowned.

This bar promotion is the latest in a long line of programs in which Buzztime is helping its bar and restaurant customers increase their guest visits and create an event during slower weeknights that keeps consumers staying longer and spending more.

Prize packages:

Regional’s First Place

• Smartest Bar Trophy
• A Buzztime Hosted Party ($250 value)
• Prize Packs for the location’s customers

Regional’s 2^nd, 3^rd and Wildcard Winners

• Smartest Bar Trophy
• Prize Packs for the location’s customers

National Final’s Winners

• Trip to Vegas ($2,000 value)
• Smartest Bar Champion Trophy
• A Buzztime Hosted Party ($500 value)
• Banner designating the location as Buzztime’s Smartest Bar for 2011

National Finals 2^nd and 3^rd Place Winners

• $500 Gift Certificate
• Smartest Bar Runner Up Trophy
• A Buzztime Hosted Party ($250 value)
• Banners designating these locations the 2011 Smartest Bar Runner Ups

Buzztime employs its network of bars and restaurants to strategically reach targeted audiences in a unique way. Additionally, Buzztime engages more than 1,800,000 players who participate in nearly 50,000,000 bar trivia, cards and sports games each year on its network.

Buzztime provides clients with branded sports and interactive bar games that align with the brands’ marketing campaigns; live hosted trivia tournaments throughout the United States; and direct-to-consumer marketing initiatives through Buzztime’s social networking and targeted e-mail marketing campaigns.

About Buzztime

NTN Buzztime, Inc. (NYSE Amex: NTN) is a leading bar and restaurant social entertainment and integrated marketing platform. Trusted by 3,900 bars and restaurants in North America since 1985, Buzztime integrates trivia, card and sports games with in- and out-of-venue messaging and communication tools. With over 1,800,000 registered consumers and nearly 50,000,000 games played each year, Buzztime players spread the word and invite friends and family to their favorite Buzztime location to enjoy an evening of fun and competition. With Buzztime entertainment and marketing solutions, bars and restaurants attract new customers, turn casual visitors into regulars, and give guests a reason to stay longer. For the most up-to-date information on NTN Buzztime, please visit www.buzztime.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Forward-looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements which reflect management’s current views of future events and operations, including but not limited to statements about game offerings and content, expanded offerings, customer insights and engagement, market and audience reach, number of locations, and player participation. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include the risks of adverse economic conditions, failure of customer and/or player demand, lower market acceptance or appeal of both existing and new products and services by particular demographic groups or audiences as a whole, termination of partnership and contractual relationships and the impact of competitive products and pricing. Please see NTN Buzztime, Inc.’s recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for information about these and other risks that may affect the Company. All forward-looking statements included in this release are based on information available to us on the date hereof. These statements speak only as of the date hereof, and NTN Buzztime, Inc. does not undertake to publicly update or revise any of its forward-looking statements, even if experience or future changes show that the indicated results or events will not be realized.

Media Contact:
Don Williams
Williams Group Public Relations
760-707-4589
don@williamsgrouppr.com

Investor Relations Contact:
Kendra Berger
Chief Financial Officer
NTN Buzztime, Inc.
760-438-7400

This Fourth of July weekend, BURGER KING® restaurants nationwide are celebrating America’s independence with a patriotic deal of $1.04 on the Original Chicken Sandwich. A menu favorite for decades, this American original features tried and true ingredients – a crispy, premium white meat chicken patty topped with shredded lettuce and mayo on a bakery-style, sesame seed bun. Hurry up and get this all-American deal on July 2, 3 and 4 at participating restaurants nationwide.

“At BURGER KING® restaurants, we are excited about celebrating the Fourth of July with our guests and giving everyone a holiday treat – the Original Chicken Sandwich offered at just $1.04,” said Steve Wiborg, president, North America, Burger King Corp. “Freshly prepared with quality ingredients, customers won’t be able to pass up this time-tested favorite. We’re confident it will satisfy any appetite whether before, during or after holiday events.”

The Original Chicken Sandwich festivities will continue on Facebook, Twitter and the NASCAR circuit throughout the holiday weekend. NASCAR driver Tony Stewart will be showing his support by driving the BURGER KING® Car in the Coke Zero 400 on July 2 in Daytona, Fla. The promotion will also be supported by in-restaurant merchandising, radio and national TV as well as through the BURGER KING® Facebook and Twitter pages, where fans can follow the conversation using the hashtag #BKChicken.

ABOUT BURGER KING CORPORATION

Founded in 1954, BURGER KING® is the second largest fast food hamburger chain in the world. The original HOME OF THE WHOPPER®, the BURGER KING® System operates more than 12,250 locations serving over 11 million guests daily in 76 countries and territories worldwide. Approximately 90 percent of BURGER KING® restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees, many of them family-owned operations that have been in business for decades. In October 2010, Burger King Corp. was purchased by 3G Capital, a multi-billion dollar, global investment firm focused on long-term value creation, with a particular emphasis on maximizing the potential of brands and businesses. For more information on 3G Capital, please go to http://3g-capital.com. To learn more about Burger King Corp., please visit the company’s website at www.bk.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Buzztime will provide trivia games in nine Atlantic Lottery Coasters locations

CARLSBAD, Calif. (Profitable.com) NTN Buzztime, Inc. (NYSE Amex: NTN), a leading social entertainment and integrated marketing platform for bars and restaurants throughout the United States and Canada, announced that the company is providing bar trivia games in nine of Atlantic Lottery’s (AL) Coasters locations in the Canadian province of New Brunswick.

Coasters are gaming entertainment centers in bar settings – offering a superior gaming experience for players. Coasters will benefit from the strategic bar marketing solutions and interactive sports, cards and trivia games. This includes the addition of Compte a rebours – a game that’s entirely in the French language. Buzztime and Atlantic Lottery are excited to have future plans that will pit Coasters locations against one another in unique interactive challenges, with prizing awarded to the winning Coasters location.

“We continue to build an exceptional gaming experience for players at our Coaster locations, and Buzztime games are a great addition to the overall player experience,” says Shawn Ryan, Managing Director of Destination Gaming at Atlantic Lottery. “The games offered by Buzztime are a great fit for the social gaming environment we’ve created as part of Coasters.”

“We look forward to working with the Atlantic Lottery to help them increase their customer focus — using our cutting edge marketing solutions and digital gaming technology to offer a unique gaming experience for players,” noted Michael J. Bush, President and CEO of NTN Buzztime, Inc. “With more than 25 years of experience working with thousands of bars and restaurants, Buzztime can apply our knowledge and best practices to AL, a recognized leader and innovator in their industry.”

Buzztime employs its network of nearly 3,900 bars and restaurants throughout the United States and Canada to strategically reach targeted audiences by providing clients with branded sports and interactive bar games that align with the brands’ marketing campaigns; live hosted trivia tournaments; and direct-to-consumer marketing initiatives through Buzztime’s social networking and targeted e-mail marketing campaigns. Additionally, Buzztime engages more than 1,800,000 players who participate in 50,000,000 bar trivia, cards and sports games each year on its network.

About Buzztime

NTN Buzztime, Inc. (NYSE Amex: NTN) is a leading bar and restaurant social entertainment and integrated marketing platform. Trusted by nearly 3,900 bars and restaurants in North America since 1985, Buzztime integrates trivia, card and sports games with in- and out-of-venue messaging and communication tools. With over 1,800,000 registered consumers and more than 50,000,000 games played each year, Buzztime players spread the word and invite friends and family to their favorite Buzztime location to enjoy an evening of fun and competition. With Buzztime entertainment and marketing solutions, bars and restaurants attract new customers, turn casual visitors into regulars, and give guests a reason to stay longer. For the most up-to-date information on NTN Buzztime, please visit www.buzztime.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

About Atlantic Lottery

Atlantic Lottery is a public corporation owned by the governments of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador. In addition to the more than $345 million awarded in prizes last year, Atlantic Lottery also returned 100% of its profits – that’s more than $389 million – to the four Atlantic Provinces.

For more information please visit www.corp.alc.ca.

Forward-looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements which reflect management’s current views of future events and operations, including but not limited to statements about increasing customer counts and check averages, numbers of locations, guests or players, success of the services including games and promotions and guest traffic,. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include the risks of unfavorable economic conditions, failure of demand for products and services, unavailability of games , lack of customer acceptance or repeat interest for both products and services and the impact of competitive products, services and pricing. Please see NTN Buzztime, Inc.’s recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for information about these and other risks that may affect the Company. All forward-looking statements included in this release are based on information available to us on the date hereof. These statements speak only as of the date hereof, and NTN Buzztime, Inc. does not undertake to publicly update or revise any of its forward-looking statements, even if experience or future changes show that the indicated results or events will not be realized.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Don Williams
Williams Group Public Relations
760-707-4589
don@williamsgrouppr.com

Jennifer Lawlor
Atlantic Lottery
709-724-1718
jennifer.lawlor@alc.ca

INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT:
Kendra Berger
Chief Financial Officer
NTN Buzztime, Inc.
760-438-7400

RestaurantNews.com has released a report which takes a look at the many salad options that restaurants are offering up this summer.  New and returning salad favorites from McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Noodles & Company, Red Robin, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Hurricane Grill & Wings are profiled.

Restaurants realized some years ago that burgers and fries couldn’t be the only meat and vegetables on the menu. There was a new breed of food conscious consumers and they wanted healthier foods that still satisfied. Restaurants were in need of a tasty salad as a healthier alternative to the other foods that at one time were the only menu choices.

Restaurants across the United States are claiming this to be the Summer of Salads by offering up a super summer salad fiesta. If you’re a salad lover, then you’re in for a summer of tasty green treats.

The full report can be found at:

http://www.restaurantnews.com/restaurants-tossing-a-summer-of-salads/

About RestaurantNews.com

RestaurantNews.com has been providing the latest online restaurant news for over twelve years.  RestaurantNews.com offers press release services and exposure for restaurant owners and operators looking to market their restaurants.  For diners, RestaurantNews.com offers current and upcoming restaurant deals, specials and promotions.

For more information about RestaurantNews.com, please visit http://www.RestaurantNews.com.

Technology has changed the way people communicate with each other. These advances have made the world a smaller place. Information in every form can be held right in your pocket and social media services are on the front line of this massive information push.

According to Packaged Facts, a leading market research publisher, 31% of frequent diners use computers to place their orders, while another 21% use their cellphones or other portable device.

But many restaurants today are still left sitting at the cutting board trying to figure out a successful recipe for social marketing, while the early adopters are reaping the rewards of a lucrative, successful social media push. It can be the icing on the cake if it is handled correctly, and it can leave a bad taste in your mouth if your social media recipe lacks the flavor it needs to spread like a nice cream cheese.

People are hungry and they are hungry for much more than food. They want to feel connected and social media allows them to feel as if they are a part of the whole restaurant family.

RestaurantNews.com has released a report which takes a look at how more restaurants are using social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to grow their business.

The full report can be found at:

http://www.restaurantnews.com/restaurants-serving-up-social-media-connections/

About RestaurantNews.com

RestaurantNews.com has been providing the latest online restaurant news for over twelve years.  RestaurantNews.com offers press release services and exposure for restaurant owners and operators looking to market their restaurants.  For diners, RestaurantNews.com offers current and upcoming restaurant deals, specials and promotions.

For more information about RestaurantNews.com, please visit http://www.RestaurantNews.com.

CHICAGO  (Profitable.com)  Restaurant operators continue to face challenges caused by the recession and slow pace of the ensuing recovery, with cost pressures and declines in consumer dining making growth difficult to sustain. Fast-casual chains seem perfectly positioned for the prevailing economic and social climate.

The category continued to outpace the restaurant industry as a whole in 2010, with the Top 100 fast-casual chains growing 6 percent to nearly $18.9 billion, a faster rate than in 2009. Total units grew 3.9 percent to 15,827, which is slightly slower than the prior year, but still faster than any other dining segment.

Technomic’s 2011 Top 100 Fast-Casual Chain Restaurant Report provides rankings, analysis and profiles of the leading chains, and helps chain operators and foodservice suppliers understand emerging trends and players in today’s fastest growing segment.

Select findings include:

• The Mexican menu category overtook bakery cafe/bagel restaurants as the most prevalent type of fast-casual restaurant in the Top 100 last year. Bakery cafes did, however, continue to lead all menu categories in terms of total U.S. system wide sales in 2010, driven primarily by its largest player, Panera Bread.
• The fastest growing menu categories for the Top 100 fast-casual chains were “Better Burger” (up 16.1 percent), Asian/noodle (up 10.1 percent) and Mexican (up 9 percent).
• Fast-casual menus are differentiating themselves through adult beverages. While they still have more room to grow, beer, wine or spirits are now sold in nearly 40 percent of fast-casual chains.  
• Panera Bread remained the sales leader among all fast-casual chains, with 2010 sales nearly over $2.9 billion, a 4.3 percent increase from 2009. Its U.S. units increased 5.5 percent to 1,376.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill held onto the number two spot, growing sales a whopping 20.7 percent to $1.8 billion, and units 13.5 percent to 1,084 locations.

“This category has essentially blown through the recession without skipping a beat,” says Technomic EVP Darren Tristano. “The real pressures are now coming from other types of concepts that have taken note and are positioning themselves alongside their fast-casual counterparts. Quick-service restaurants are revamping their offerings and decor in an attempt to provide value beyond low prices and take back market share.” Tristano also points out that increased competition is becoming a concern, as new concepts continue to establish themselves and compete in the fast-casual marketplace.

The 2011 Top 100 Fast-Casual Chain Restaurant Report was designed to provide restaurant operators and foodservice suppliers with extensive information and analysis of top performers by sales and units; current trends within the segment; and identification of fast-casual growth opportunities. It includes comprehensive appendices listing the Top 100 chains alphabetically and by rank in sales and units, plus detailed profiles containing concept and menu positioning and contacts.

These industry-leading concepts will be discussed in detail at Technomic’s first annual Growth Chain Conference, held from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM on Wednesday May 18th at the Gleacher Center in downtown Chicago. Technomic experts Ron Paul and Darren Tristano will be on hand to discuss industry insights and analysis of the quick-service, fast-casual and casual-dining segments.

Guest speakers will include Smashburger CEO Dave Prokupek, Brick House Tavern and Tap COO Jim Kuhn, and Red Mango founder and CEO Dan Kim. To register for the conference go to technomic.com/growth

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

Contacts

Press Inquiries: Darren Tristano, 312-506-3850, or dtristano@technomic.com
Purchasing Details: Pat Noone, 312-506-3852, or pnoone@technomic.com
Report Details: Naomi Van Til, 312-506-3844 or nvantil@technomic.com

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.

Buzztime launches bi-national competition to determine once and for all who are the smartest bar trivia patrons

CARLSBAD, Calif.  (Profitable.com)  NTN Buzztime, Inc. (NYSE Amex: NTN), a leading social entertainment and integrated marketing platform for bars and restaurants, announced that the company will launch a bi-national campaign beginning in June and culminating in November to crown the Smartest Bar.  Buzztime’s nearly 3,900 bar and restaurant customers will compete against each other to see how their guests’ combined ‘brain power’ fares against that of their peers throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Buzztime’s Smartest Bar regional competitions, in both countries, will take place each Wednesday night at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT in June and September.  In November, locations that qualified through the regional rounds will be invited to participate in the Smartest Bar finals, where the winning bar will be crowned. This bar promotion is the latest in a long line of programs in which Buzztime is helping its bar and restaurant customers increase their guest visits and create an event during slower weeknights.

“Throughout time, every neighborhood bar has tried to stake the claim that they’re the best.  Now Buzztime, a perennial leader in providing compelling trivia, sports and card games to bars and restaurants, is using our entertainment and marketing platform to help bar owners and their customers engage in a real battle – a battle of wits,” commented Michael J. Bush, President and CEO, NTN Buzztime, Inc.  “Consumers have a lot of pride and allegiance to their local bar or pub.  This competition is a fantastic way for them to take that pride nationwide and vie for the crowning achievement of Smartest Bar.”

Participants will be quizzed to see if they can provide the right answers to questions in the following categories: The Sciences, The World, The Shows, The Past, The Games and the Arts. Bars with the top three scores will advance to the November finals – the top scores will be determined by the location’s average of the top five player’s scores.   In addition, Buzztime will award a ‘Wildcard’ spot for each of the 10 regions to those bars that have the highest participation or cumulative total points. 

Prize packages:

Regional’s First Place

• Smartest Bar Trophy
• A Buzztime Hosted Party ($250 value)
• Prize Packs for the location’s customers

Regional’s 2^nd, 3^rd and Wildcard Winners

• Smartest Bar Trophy
• Prize Packs for the location’s customers

National Final’s Winners

• Trip to Vegas ($2,000 value)
• Smartest Bar Champion Trophy
• A Buzztime Hosted Party ($500 value)
• Banner designating the location as Buzztime’s Smartest Bar for 2011

National Finals 2^nd and 3^rd Place Winners

• $500 Gift Certificate
• Smartest Bar Runner Up Trophy
• A Buzztime Hosted Party ($250 value)
• Banners designating these locations the 2011 Smartest Bar Runner Ups

Buzztime employs its network of bars and restaurants to strategically reach targeted audiences in a unique way. Additionally, Buzztime engages more than 1,500,000 players who participate in 50,000,000 bar trivia, cards and sports games each year on its network.

Buzztime provides clients with branded sports and interactive bar games that align with the brands’ marketing campaigns; live hosted trivia tournaments throughout the United States; and direct-to-consumer marketing initiatives through Buzztime’s social networking and targeted e-mail marketing campaigns.

About Buzztime

NTN Buzztime, Inc. (NYSE Amex: NTN) is a leading bar and restaurant social entertainment and integrated marketing platform. Trusted by 3,900 bars and restaurants in North America since 1985, Buzztime integrates trivia, card and sports games with in- and out-of-venue messaging and communication tools.  With over 1,500,000 registered consumers and more than 50,000,000 games played each year, Buzztime players spread the word and invite friends and family to their favorite Buzztime location to enjoy an evening of fun and competition.   With Buzztime entertainment and marketing solutions, bars and restaurants attract new customers, turn casual visitors into regulars, and give guests a reason to stay longer.  For the most up-to-date information on NTN Buzztime, please visit www.buzztime.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Forward-looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements which reflect management’s current views of future events and operations, including but not limited to statements about game offerings and content, expanded offerings, customer insights and engagement, market and audience reach, number of locations, and player participation. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include the risks of adverse economic conditions, failure of customer and/or player demand, lower market acceptance or appeal of both existing and new products and services by particular demographic groups or audiences as a whole, termination of partnership and contractual relationships and the impact of competitive products and pricing. Please see NTN Buzztime, Inc.’s recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for information about these and other risks that may affect the Company. All forward-looking statements included in this release are based on information available to us on the date hereof. These statements speak only as of the date hereof, and NTN Buzztime, Inc. does not undertake to publicly update or revise any of its forward-looking statements, even if experience or future changes show that the indicated results or events will not be realized.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Don Williams
Williams Group Public Relations
760-707-4589
don@williamsgrouppr.com

INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT:
Kendra Berger
Chief Financial Officer
NTN Buzztime, Inc.
760-438-7400