Bennigan's and Guinness® Partner to Create One-of-a-Kind Recipes

Business Wire, June 19, 2006

PLANO, Texas -- Two classic Irish favorites are joining forces.

Bennigan's Grill & Tavern and Guinness(R) have teamed up to create Bennigan's Guinness(R) Grill menu featuring Bennigan's exclusive new Guinness Glaze original recipes made with Guinness Stout. The Guinness Grill menu hits Bennigan's restaurants nationwide June 26.

"This partnership combines the classic, tavern menu at Bennigan's with the most recognized name in Irish beer," said Clay Dover, vice president of marketing at Bennigan's. "Our culinary team set out to create a taste that combines the Guinness Stout flavor with a bit of sweetness, and the result is one of the most prominent menu introductions in our restaurant's 30-year history."

With more than $1 million in Guinness sales annually, Bennigan's is the number one Guinness pourer in North America, Dover said, making the partnership a "natural move for both brands."

The collaboration, which took six months of development and involved more than 43 test recipes, is a groundbreaking first for both Bennigan's and Guinness. The expansive effort has also generated the highest taste test results in Bennigan's history, with more than 90 percent reorder and recommend ratings for Guinness Glaze items in test markets.

"We wanted to create a menu that would bring the unique and bold Guinness flavor to a variety of dishes," said Brian Kolodziej, vice president of culinary innovations at Bennigan's. "We tested a variety of sauce recipes and experimented with entrees until we found the perfect combinations for our guests. The menu is a distinctive taste that is signature to Bennigan's and Guinness alone."

The Guinness Grill menu features the exclusive Guinness Glaze on appetizers such as Boneless Chicken Wings and Popcorn Shrimp and entrees including "Oh, Baby" Back Ribs, Top Sirloin, Grilled Chicken and Grilled Shrimp.

About Bennigan's Grill & Tavern

Since 1976, Bennigan's has been offering customers a diverse food and drink menu with an Irish influence in a classic grill & tavern setting. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, Bennigan's has over 310 locations in 10 countries, and is owned by Metromedia Restaurant Group (MRG), one of the world's leading multi-concept table-service restaurant groups. Other MRG concepts include Steak and Ale, Ponderosa Steakhouse, Bonanza Steakhouse and The Plano Tavern. Additional information on Bennigan's is available at www.bennigans.com.