O'Charley's Bringing Good Food and Good Times to Grand Rapids,
Michigan
* Casual Dining Chain Known For Quality Fresh Food * Restaurant Located at 1600
East Beltline Avenue, N.E. to Open August 24, 2004
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., July 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Meritage Hospitality
Group Inc. (AMEX:MHG), the nation's only publicly traded Wendy's franchisee and
O'Charley's franchisee, today announced Good Food and Good Times are coming to
Grand Rapids, Michigan with an August 24, 2004 opening of Grand Rapids' first
O'Charley's restaurant located at 1600 East Beltline Avenue, N.E. Known for
its varied menu with an emphasis on fresh preparation, the casual dining chain
has been popular with residents in nearly 200 communities across the Southeast
and Midwest for more than 20 years.
"The fresh food, diverse menu and neighborhood feel of our restaurants make
O'Charley's a great choice for any occasion," said Roger Zingle, President &
Chief Operating Officer of O'Charley's of Michigan. "Our casual, relaxed
atmosphere is ideal for anything from a family outing to a business lunch,
while the variety in our menu appeals to everyone." Steaks, ribs and prime rib have long been O'Charley's favorites. O'Charley's
choice beef is carefully selected then aged three to six weeks in O'Charley's
own USDA-inspected facility to allow flavor and tenderness to reach their peak. A wide selection of hand-trimmed cuts, including choice sirloin, ribeye and
filet mignon, are offered. Prime rib, an O'Charley's specialty dating back to
its first restaurant, is slow cooked in special ovens to ensure that each cut
is tender and juicy.
O'Charley's soups are made from scratch, and salads are prepared in the kitchen
with fresh ingredients and served with O'Charley's special-recipe dressings.
All entrees are served with O'Charley's hot, homemade yeast rolls. O'Charley's
signature Chicken O'Tenders feature hand-breaded, boneless chicken breast
filets.
Featured on the dessert menu is O'Charley's famous caramel pie, a graham
cracker crust filled with creamy caramel topped with whipped cream, chocolate
chips and pecans. In addition to being popular for lunch and dinner,
O'Charley's serves Sunday brunch, including steak and eggs, waffles and
omelets.
Available to children aged 10 and under, O'Charley's Kids Menu includes
hamburgers, bite-size shrimp, chicken tenders, kids steak, and macaroni &
cheese. Priced at $3.49 each, children's selections include choice of meal,
beverage and treat. On Sundays, children may choose from the Kids Brunch menu,
which includes waffles, scrambled eggs and French toast sticks.
The new store will have approximately 6,800 square feet with seating for 275,
and will provide employment for approximately 115 people in addition to seven
managers. Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, O'Charley's hours of
operation are 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. A full-service bar is also available.
O'Charley's Sunday brunch begins at 10:30 a.m.
"Grand Rapids is a great community and a perfect fit for the O'Charley's
concept," added Zingle. "O'Charley's is not only a great place to work, but we
offer great food in a comfortable, family-friendly environment. We are very
excited to have the opportunity to become involved and contribute to the
residents of Grand Rapids." Meritage currently operates 47 "Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers" restaurants
throughout Western and Southern Michigan serving more than 9.0 million
customers annually. The Company has been one of the fastest growing
franchisees within the Wendy's franchise system. The Wendy's franchise system
is the third largest quick-service restaurant hamburger chain in the world with
more than 6,431 restaurants and system-wide sales in excess of $7.1 billion.
Wendy's, traded as WEN on NYSE, is the leading national, high quality hamburger
concept in the quick-service restaurant category.
O'Charley's, traded as CHUX on Nasdaq, is a leading regional high quality food
concept in the casual dining restaurant category. Meritage recently announced
that it entered into a development agreement with O'Charley's, giving Meritage
the exclusive right to develop O'Charley's restaurants in the State of
Michigan. DATASOURCE: Meritage Hospitality Group Inc.
CONTACT: Robert E. Schermer, Jr., CEO of Meritage Hospitality Group Inc., +1-616-776-2600 Web site: http://www.meritagehospitality.com/
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