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March 11, 1999 15:03
El Torito Restaurants Names Diedrich Coffee National
Coffee Provider
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 11, 1999--Diedrich Coffee Inc.
(NASDAQ:DDRX), a leading retailer, wholesaler and custom roaster of the world's finest
coffees, and El Torito Restaurants Inc., a subsidiary of Koo Koo Roo Enterprises Inc.
(OTC BB:KKRE) Thursday announced that they have completed a supply agreement.
Diedrich Coffee has been selected by El Torito to provide fresh-roasted coffee for El
Torito, El Torito Grill, El Torito Express restaurants in California, Oregon, Indiana,
Washington and Arizona and its Casa Gallardo restaurants in the greater St. Louis area.
The restaurants are targeted to begin serving Diedrich coffee by May.
Joe Herrera, senior vice president of marketing for El Torito Restaurants noted that
Diedrich Coffee's products pair well with his company's fresh, premium food profile. "Our
goal is to continue building our guest base by providing great tasting, exciting foods and
beverages, together with an outstanding service experience," he said. "Diedrich Coffee
offers El Torito a one-stop solution, including outstanding coffee and great training. I'm
confident that our coffee program, in turn, will deliver improved customer satisfaction and
can help us give people another reason to enjoy our restaurants."
Diedrich Coffee's Director of Wholesale, Ed Apffel, said Diedrich Coffee developed a
coffee program to specifically complement El Torito's fresh, wholesome approach to
innovative Mexican food preparation. "El Torito management understands how critical it
is to provide guests with a satisfying finish to a quality dining experience by offering an
outstanding coffee," he said.
El Torito Restaurants is the latest customer to join Diedrich Coffee's expanding roster of
wholesale accounts that includes well known restaurants such as Ruth's Chris Steak
Houses, Claim Jumper and Islands Restaurants. Sales for the Diedrich Coffee wholesale
division grew 25% for the fiscal year ended Jan. 27, 1999.
El Torito Restaurants Inc. was founded in Southern California in 1954 and in 1986
became a subsidiary of The Restaurant Enterprises Group Inc., now known as Koo Koo
Roo Enterprises Inc. With full-service casual restaurants primarily in the western U.S. and
overseas franchise locations, El Torito is a leading operator of Mexican casual dining
restaurants. Koo Koo Roo Enterprises Inc. operates over 300 full-service or fast-casual
restaurants in 28 states and also licenses 23 restaurants outside the United States and
is known around the globe primarily for its Chi-Chi's, El Torito, Koo Koo Roo, Hamburger
Hamlet, and Casa Gallardo restaurant names. Koo Koo Roo Enterprises Inc. is the
largest operator of full service Mexican restaurants in the world with sales of
approximately $473 million and EBITDA of approximately $28 million in 1998.
Koo Koo Roo Enterprises Inc. and El Torito Restaurants Inc. are located at 18831 Von
Karman Avenue, Irvine, Calif. 92612. For further information call 949/757-7900, or the
investor relations hotline at 949/757-3032. You can also send e-mail to
invest@kkre.com, or visit www.kkre.com and www.eltorito.com Web sites.
Diedrich Coffee has headquarters in Irvine and has been in business since 1972. The
company operates 35 coffeehouses in California, Colorado and Texas and seven coffee
cart operations in California. The Diedrich wholesale division services over 300 accounts
in the Western United States. The company is lead by Tim Ryan, president and chief
executive officer, and company founder, Martin Diedrich, vice president and chief coffee
officer. Diedrich Coffee has been publicly traded on NASDAQ since September of 1996.
More information about Diedrich Coffee may be obtained by calling 800/354-5282 or
visiting the company Web site at www.diedrich.com.
Forward looking statements and comments in this news release are made pursuant to
the safe harbor provisions of the Federal securities laws. Such statements relating to,
among other things, the timing of coffee introduction into restaurants, the price and
availability of coffee or coffee based products or menu items, consumer preferences,
tastes and eating habits, and competition from other restaurants and food service
establishments are necessarily subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which are
significant in scope and nature. These risks are further discussed in the periodic reports
and registration statements filed by Koo Koo Roo Enterprises Inc., Family Restaurants
Inc. and Koo Koo Roo Inc. from time to time with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
Statements in this news release that relate to future plans, financial results or projections,
events or performance are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section
27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and fall under the safe harbor. Diedrich Coffee Inc.
actual results and financial position could differ materially from those anticipated in the
forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including but not limited to,
the price and availability of coffee, successful execution of the company's franchise area
development plans, impact of competition, the availability of working capital and other
risks and uncertainties described in detail under "Certain Factors and Trends Affecting
Diedrich Coffee and Its Business" in the company's annual report on form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended Jan. 28, 1998, and in the company's subsequent reports on Form
10-Q. Copies of these reports are available from Diedrich Coffee.
CONTACT: Koo Koo Roo Enterprises Inc.
Robert L. Carl, 949/757-3030
E-mail: rob.carl@kkre.com
or
Diedrich Coffee Inc.
Catherine Saar, 949/260-6704
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