Casual Dining Leader Teams with Heinz and Poore Brothers,
Inc. to Expand Retail Products
DALLAS, July 30, 2002 – T.G.I. Friday’s, a global restaurant company,
continues its partnership with Heinz and Poore Brothers, Inc. to introduce
five new products to its flourishing line of frozen and salty retail snacks.
Friday’s® new Chicken Quesadilla Rolls, Southwestern Egg
Rolls and Honey BBQ Wings join the successful line of frozen appetizers
available at supermarkets nationwide. They have become so popular with at-home
consumers that they have claimed the No. 2 best-selling spot among retail
frozen snacks. Combining savory chicken, vegetables, Monterey Jack and Colby
cheeses and bacon wrapped in a crispy flour tortilla, the new Chicken
Quesadilla Rolls are a great way for consumers to enjoy a familiar appetizer
in a unique form. The Southwestern Egg Rolls will spice up any fiesta with a
hearty blend of cheese, chicken and vegetables rolled in a crispy flour
tortilla. And Honey BBQ Wings bring a zesty flavor twist to a popular classic.
The new products join the other popular T.G.I. Friday’s products – Cheddar
and Bacon Potato Skins, Broccoli and Cheddar Potato Skins, Buffalo Wings,
Mozzarella Sticks, Black Bean and Cheese Dip and Spinach, Cheese and Artichoke
Dip.
Friday’s is also bringing its unique fun and flavors to consumers through
its expanding selection of salty snacks, manufactured by partner Poore
Brothers, Inc. By special request, new Friday’s All-American Party Mix was
launched in Sam’s Clubs nationwide in a jumbo 40-ounce bag in time for the
summer outdoor entertainment season. The unique mix of Friday’s
Potato Skins snack chips, pretzels, corn squares,
rye and waffle chips combine to create a flavor that is sure to please a
crowd! In addition, Friday’s new 15 ½ -ounce bags of Onion Rings will make
their debut exclusively in Sam’s Clubs in August. With a light and airy
onion flavor that melts in your mouth, the new Onion Rings are predicted to be
a hit!
"The success of our products is driven by continual innovation with
the introduction of new products like the Party Mix and Onion Rings,"
said Eric Kufel, president and CEO of Poore Brothers, Inc. According to Kufel,
the new Onion Rings and Party Mix products are available at Sam’s Clubs for
a limited time. Kufel added, "We’ve just released our second quarter
sales results for 2002, which show a 38 percent increase from last year when
the snacks had recently been launched. This kind of strong growth is driven by
consumer demand for the product."
Since their unveiling in January 2001, the salty snacks have become
favorites that not only crowd grocery, mass market and wholesale club shelves,
but also are available in vending machines nationwide. The growing product
line includes Cheddar and Bacon Potato Skins Snack Chips, Sour Cream and Onion
Potato Skins Snack Chips, Friday’s Ultimate Jalapeño Fire Bites Snack Chips
and Loaded Nachos Snack Strips.
"The new products we’re launching exemplify Friday’s belief that
eating should be fun," says Stacy Baw, director of brand licensing for
Carlson Restaurants Worldwide. "Our partnership with leading companies
like Heinz and Poore Brothers helps us to bring Friday’s unique brand of fun
to hungry consumers who are searching for familiar favorites with a
twist."
# # #
Note to the Editor:
Carlson Restaurants Worldwide Inc., the parent company of TGI Friday’s
Inc., is a privately held company owned by Minneapolis-based Carlson
Companies, Inc., a world leader in the hospitality, travel and marketing
industries and a company that was recently named as one of the "100 Best
Companies to Work for in America" by Fortune magazine. As of July 1, 2002
Carlson Restaurants operate, franchise and license 701 restaurants in 56
countries, including T.G.I. Friday’sÒ , Friday’s
Front RowÒ Sports Grill and Friday’s American
BarÒ . Carlson Restaurants Worldwide is included
in the Carlson Hospitality Worldwide division of Carlson Companies, Inc.
ABOUT HEINZ: With sales approaching US$10 billion and a pantheon of icon
brands, H. J. Heinz Company is one of the world's leading marketers of high
quality ketchup, sauces, meals, soups, snacks and infant foods to consumers
everywhere, whether in supermarkets, restaurants or on the go. Its 50
companies operate in some 200 countries, with more than 20 power brands,
including the Heinz(R) brand with nearly US$3 billion in annual sales. Among
the company's famous brands are Heinz®, StarKist®,
Ore-Ida®, 9-Lives®, Wattie's®, Plasmon®,
Classico®, Smart Ones®, Bagel Bites®,
Delimex®, Poppers®, John West®, Petit
Navire®, Kibbles `n Bits®, Pounce®, Pup-Peroni®,
Orlando®, ABC®, Olivine®, Jufran®,
HAK®, Honig® and Pudliszki®. Heinz also
uses the famous brands Weight Watchers®, Boston Market®,
T.G.I. Friday’s® and Linda McCartney® under license.
Information on Heinz is available at http://www.heinz.com.
Poore Brothers, a rapidly growing manufacturer, marketer and distributor of
"intensely different" salty snacks, is headquartered in Goodyear,
Arizona and operates manufacturing facilities in Goodyear, Arizona and
Bluffton, Indiana. The Company's primary emphasis is upon manufacturing
"intensely different" salty snack food items including T.G.I. Friday’s®
brand snack chips, Poore Brothers® brand potato chips, Bob's Texas
Style® brand potato chips, Boulder Potato CompanyTM
brand potato chips, and Tato Skins® brand potato snacks. The
Company also manufactures private label potato chips for major retailers in
Arizona and California and operates a direct store delivery distribution
business in Arizona.
