Thursday February 6 8:32 AM EDT
Woodroast Systems Signs Deal with Grand Casinos, Will Build Shelly's Back
Room Cigar Parlor at Tunica Gaming Facility
Grand Casinos' Berman says Back Room 'excellent fit'
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., Feb. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Woodroast Systems Inc today announced it has signed an agreement with
Grand Casinos Inc that will allow Woodroast Systems to construct a Shelly's Back Room "Civilized Cigar Parlor and Tavern"
at Grand Casino Tunica, in Robinsonville, Miss. Grand Casinos will license the concept from Woodroast Systems and
operate the facility; Woodroast Systems will provide consulting services.
Under the agreement, the Tunica Shelly's Back Room will be approximately 2,000 square feet with construction expected to
begin first quarter 1997. Completion is expected in third quarter 1997. The Shelly's Back room at Grand Casino Tunica -- the
first such cigar parlor known to be associated with an American casino -- will serve as a prototype and be evaluated for
possible use at other Grand Casinos properties.
In addition to its signature club seating and private cigar lockers, the Tunica Shelly's Back Room will feature hand-crafted
micro-brewery beers, single malt scotches, small-batch Bourbons and other select premium spirits. It will also retail a range of
quality hand-made cigars, including Woodroast's own premium Samuelson branded cigars, and a full line of accessories
including ash trays, lighters, and clothing with the Shelly's Back Room logo.
Woodroast Systems has recently completed development and testing of a proprietary air system capable of replacing the
entire volume of air in a Shelly's Back Room with fresh outside air every two minutes. The result will be high-quality air,
accommodating non-smokers as well.
The Back Room will offer no gaming, said Sheldon F. Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Woodroast Systems. "In keeping with
our concept, the Shelly's Back Room will be strictly a retreat, a meeting place where ladies and gentlemen may go to relax,
have a drink or a bite to eat, perhaps a fine cigar, away from the gaming tables," said Jacobs. "The Tunica Shelly's Back Room
will serve both as a promotional tool for other Shelly's Back Rooms and provide us with additional operational experience as
we pursue the possibility of franchising," he said.
According to Lyle Berman, chairman and CEO of Grand Casinos, the Shelly's Back Room concept should appeal to Grand
Casino customers. "The Back Room concept will give our best customers a place to relax in world-class surroundings and we
think it's an excellent fit," he said. "We are pleased to be associated with Shelly Jacobs and Woodroast Systems; Shelly is a
leading international cigar expert, and we haven't seen a concept like this anywhere else," he said.
Woodroast Systems, Inc. is an Eden Prairie, Minn.-based restaurant development company expanding its Shelly's Back Room
"Civilized Cigar Parlor and Tavern" and Shelly's Woodroast restaurant concepts. Both concepts include a Northwoods lodge
theme and "Original Woodroast Cooking(R)," a signature- style cuisine featuring slow-roasted meat, fish, and fowl prepared
in patented, computer-controlled wood-burning ovens. Shelly's Back Room features complete accommodations for cigar
smokers including food and beverage service, club seating, retail cigar sales, and state-of-the-art air purification. The
Company's common stock is traded on the Nasdaq SmallCap Market under the symbol "WRSI." SOURCE Woodroast
Systems, Inc. |
