BJ's Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ: BJRI) is pleased to announce the
initiation of a "Supplier Partner of the Year”
award program. These awards will be presented annually to those supplier
partners that have made the most significant contributions to the
continuing evolution of the quality, differentiation and value of the BJ’s
restaurant concept for the consumer, as well as to the advancement of
the overall productivity and leverage of our business model as we
continue the execution of our national expansion plan. For 2008, BJ’s
"Supplier Partners of the Year”
are FreshPoint Inc., The Wasserstrom Company, Rich Products Corporation
and McQuery, Henry, Bowles, Troy LLP.
"BJ’s is very
fortunate to have many outstanding supplier partners who continue to
partner with us in elevating the overall quality, productivity and
leverage of our restaurant concept and business model,”
commented Jerry Deitchle, Chairman and CEO. "In
particular, we are grateful to these four companies for their
outstanding contributions to our success during 2008 as partners in our
growth.”
FreshPoint, Inc.
As North America’s largest fresh produce
distributor and a wholly owned subsidiary of SYSCO Corporation,
FreshPoint serves as an innovative partner in helping BJ’s
streamline and solve numerous challenges in our distribution networks
around the country. Additionally, FreshPoint manages and coordinates all
of BJ’s grower/shipper contracts through both
its company-owned and non-FreshPoint distribution partners. FreshPoint
has committed to a promising future of continued innovation and growth
with BJ’s.
The Wasserstrom Company
Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, The Wasserstrom Company is the nation's
leading restaurant supplier and distributor of foodservice supplies and
equipment. Wasserstrom has been instrumental in improving the
productivity and efficiency of BJ’s new
restaurant openings and has been a highly reliable and supportive
partner with our continued expansion into new markets. Wasserstrom not
only exceeds our expectations in striving to provide a quality product
to BJ’s, but also provides flawless service
levels in support of our new restaurant openings.
Rich Products Corporation (Rich’s)
Rich Products Corporation is known around the world as a pioneer in the
frozen food industry and a leading supplier and solutions provider to
the foodservice, in-store bakery, and retail marketplaces. During its
20-year relationship with BJ’s, Rich’s
has been a leading innovator in the development of several of the Company’s
signature products. The longevity of this supplier partnership is a
testament to Rich’s commitment to the
flawless execution of the products they manufacture, as well as to their
commitment to the BJ’s brand through their
generous support of the BJ’s Restaurants
Foundation.
McQueary, Henry, Bowles, Troy, LLP (MHBT)
McQueary, Henry, Bowles, Troy LLP, based in Dallas, TX, is a
full-service provider of insurance and risk management solutions. MHBT
has provided highly professional advice and expertise to BJ’s
in the professional management of risk in all aspects of our business,
including both restaurant and brewery operations.
About BJ’s Restaurants, Inc.
BJ's Restaurants, Inc. currently owns and operates 78 casual dining
restaurants under the BJ's Restaurant & Brewery, BJ's Restaurant &
Brewhouse or BJ's Pizza & Grill brand names. BJ's restaurants offer an
innovative and broad menu featuring award-winning, signature deep-dish
pizza complemented with generously portioned salads, appetizers,
sandwiches, soups, pastas, entrees and desserts. Quality, flavor, value,
moderate prices and sincere service remain distinct attributes of the
BJ's experience. The Company operates several microbreweries which
produce and distribute BJ's critically acclaimed handcrafted beers
throughout the chain. The Company's restaurants are located in
California (41), Texas (13), Arizona (5), Colorado (3), Oregon (2),
Nevada (2), Florida (4), Ohio (2), Oklahoma (2), Kentucky (1), Indiana
(1), Louisiana (1) and Washington (1). The Company also has a licensing
interest in a BJ's restaurant in Lahaina, Maui. Visit BJ's Restaurants,
Inc. on the Web at http://www.bjsrestaurants.com.
Certain statements in the preceding paragraphs and all other statements
that are not purely historical constitute "forward-looking statements"
for purposes of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities and
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are intended to be covered by the
safe harbors created thereby. Such statements include, but are not
limited to, those regarding expected comparable restaurant sales growth
in 2008, those regarding the effect of new sales-building initiatives,
as well as those regarding the number of restaurants expected to be
opened in 2008 and the timing and location of such openings. These
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results to be
materially different from those projected or anticipated. Factors that
might cause such differences include, but are not limited to: (i) our
ability to manage an increasing number of new restaurant openings, (ii)
construction delays, (iii) labor shortages, (iv) minimum wage increases,
(v) food quality and health concerns, (vi) factors that impact
California, where 41 of our current 78 restaurants are located, (vii)
restaurant and brewery industry competition, (viii) impact of certain
brewery business considerations, including without limitation,
dependence upon suppliers and related hazards, (ix) consumer spending
trends in general for casual dining occasions, (x) potential uninsured
losses and liabilities, (xi) fluctuating commodity costs, the effect of
any resulting menu price increases on our sales, the availability of
food in general and certain raw materials related to the brewing of our
handcrafted beers and energy, (xii) trademark and servicemark risks,
(xiii) government regulations, (xiv) licensing costs, (xv) beer and
liquor regulations, (xvi) loss of key personnel, (xvii) inability to
secure acceptable sites, (xviii) limitations on insurance coverage,
(xix) legal proceedings, (xx) other general economic and regulatory
conditions and requirements, (xxi) the success of our key sales-building
and related operational initiatives and (xxii) numerous other matters
discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. BJ's Restaurants, Inc. undertakes no obligation to update or
alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.