Bennigan's Puts New Menu Items To The Vote

Business Wire, June 26, 2006

PLANO, Texas -- Bennigan's Grill & Tavern rolls out a new menu in restaurants nationwide today, and more than 400,000 customers had the final say in some tasty favorites that made the cut.

"In the last year, we have completely overhauled our menu, and our customers were at the heart of every decision when deciding what to add and what to delete," said Clay Dover, vice president of marketing for Bennigan's.

In a first-ever marketing campaign, Bennigan's put its entire "Cheeseburger Rebellion" promotional menu items to an online vote. More than 400,000 customers punched the cyber-ballot in support of their favorites. The winners added to the new core menu include the Cheeseburger Egg Rolls appetizer, the Peppercorn Bleu Cheeseburger Pita and the BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Pita.

"The huge affirmation from our patrons in the online vote and from a string of successful limited-time-offers have supported every move to shift our variety and selection away from the sea of sameness in our category," Dover said. "This new menu reflects that Bennigan's and our customers don't settle for the standards."

Overall, the new Bennigan's menu takes a decidedly healthy approach and includes: Fajita Salad, Soup & Salad Combo, 1/2 Country Cork & Soup, Rosemary Grilled Chicken, and the popular Morningstar(R) Spicy Black Bean Burger. Portion size and pricing also have been reduced for Ribs and the 8 oz. Fire Grilled Sirloin.

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.