Tag Archives: restaurants

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NCR enables restaurants to increase speed of service, improve order accuracy with Consumer Self-Ordering solution

Solution Enables Restaurant Guests to Order from Kiosk

Duluth, Ga., 2017-Apr-04 — /EPR Retail News/ — NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR), a global leader in omni-channel solutions, today (April 3, 2017) announced an extension to the NCR Aloha Platform that will enable restaurants to increase speed of service, improve order accuracy and increase overall customer satisfaction by providing their customers with a self-ordering kiosk. The Consumer Self-Ordering solution is available now in North America.

“A self-ordering kiosk is yet another strong example of NCR’s omni-channel leadership in the restaurant industry,” said Don Zimmerman, vice president & general manager for hospitality at NCR. “This solution is further proof that NCR is leading the reinvention of how restaurants connect with their customers and create better experiences for them, while controlling costs.”

Restaurants of all types are looking to expand the number of channels in which their guests can connect, interact and transact with them. “Restaurant brands are undergoing an evolution and transforming their operations to become digitally integrated businesses. Omni-channel software that can help integrate physical and digital channels, while aggregating, integrating and presenting enterprise data, is critical to their success,” said Greg Buzek, President, IHL Group.

The NCR Consumer Self-Ordering solution creates a new on-premise channel. Restaurant guests can take their time to review the entire menu, look at special offers and place their order – all without standing in a queue. This can result in a better overall experience for the guest and, typically, higher check averages for the restaurant.

NCR Consumer Self-Ordering software is now available on iPad devices for fast casual and quick-service operators throughout the United States and Canada. The software will be available on built-for-purpose devices and other operating systems later this year, giving restaurant operators choice and flexibility in how they deploy their consumer self-ordering needs.

About NCR Corporation 
NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is a leader in omni-channel solutions, turning everyday interactions with businesses into exceptional experiences. With its software, hardware, and portfolio of services, NCR enables nearly 700 million transactions daily across retail, financial, travel, hospitality, telecom and technology, and small business. NCR solutions run the everyday transactions that make your life easier.

NCR is headquartered in Duluth, Ga., with over 30,000 employees and does business in 180 countries. NCR is a trademark of NCR Corporation in the United States and other countries.

Web site: www.ncr.com
Twitter: @NCRCorporation
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ncrcorp
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ncr-corporation
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/ncrcorporation

Media Contact:
Tim Henschel
NCR Corporation
770.299.5100
tim.henschel@ncr.com

Source: NCR Corporation

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Amazon Restaurants brings its delivery service in the greater Washington, D.C. area

Prime members in D.C. can now enjoy delivery from popular restaurants, including Maketto, Ben’s Next Door, Hill Country Barbecue Market, Kapnos, b DC Penn Quarter, and many more

SEATTLE, 2017-Mar-01 — /EPR Retail News/ — Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) today (Feb. 28, 2017) announced that Prime members in the greater Washington, D.C. area can now enjoy delivery from 150 popular restaurants, including Maketto, Ben’s Next Door, Hill Country Barbecue Market, Kapnos, b DC Penn Quarter, and many more. Amazon Restaurants is expanding its delivery territory from Northern Virginia to customers in the Capitol Hill, Georgetown, Adams Morgan, H Street, Shaw, and Downtown neighborhoods, to name a few.

“The hustle and bustle in the nation’s capital can make it difficult to try all the amazing restaurants around town,” said Gus Lopez, general manager of Amazon Restaurants. “Now, Amazon Restaurants makes it easy to skip traffic and get delicious meals from top restaurants conveniently delivered to your office or home in an hour or less.”

Using the Amazon or Prime Now mobile apps or by visiting www.amazon.com/restaurants, Prime members in D.C. can order from participating restaurants, browse menus, track the status of their delivery, and watch as their delivery driver travels from the restaurant to the delivery address in real time.

Once an order is placed, the food will be delivered in one hour or less. Amazon Restaurants offers customers transparent pricing—there are no menu markups. If a customer finds a restaurant item on Amazon Restaurants that is priced higher than the regularly priced item on the restaurant’s current online menu within 24 hours of placing the order, Amazon will refund that customer the price of the item.

“Who doesn’t love being a Prime member and all the benefits that come with it?” said Jesse Hiney, general manager of Osteria Morini DC. “Now my customers will be able to get our delicious pasta delivered right to their doors. Sounds dangerous in a delicious way!”

New Participating Restaurants in Washington, D.C. include:

  • Absolute Noodle
  • Acacia Bistro
  • Addis Ethiopian Restaurants
  • Al Volo DC
  • Amsterdam Falafelshop
  • Appioo African Bar & Grill
  • Arepa Zone
  • b DC Penn Quarter
  • Banana Leaves Asian Restaurant & Sushi Bar
  • Bangkok Joes
  • Bar Deco
  • Bolt Burgers
  • Bozzelli’s
  • Cafe of India
  • Coppi’s Organic Restaurant
  • Das Ethiopian
  • DC Pizza
  • DC Wisey’s
  • DCity Smokehouse
  • District Doughnut and Coffee
  • Duffy’s Irish Restaurant and Pub
  • Dupont Pizza
  • Espita Mezcaleria
  • Hill Country Barbecue Market
  • Indique
  • I-Thai Restaurant & Sushi Bar
  • Johnny Pistola’s
  • Kapnos
  • Khepra’s Raw Food Juice Bar
  • Kogod Liquors & Deli
  • Le Caprice DC Cafe Bakery
  • Lore Lounge
  • Maketto
  • Masala Art
  • Mayur Kabob House
  • Merzi
  • Moe’s Southwest Grill
  • Moxie’s
  • Mythology
  • Nazca Mochica
  • Nerds & Nibblers
  • New Dynasty Chinese Restaurant
  • New Heights Restaurant
  • Osteria Morini
  • Panda Gourmet
  • Pasha’s Kitchen
  • Pizza Mart
  • Pow Pow
  • Prescription Chicken
  • Quara Ethiopian Fusion Restaurant
  • Rakuya
  • Rasoi Indian Kitchen
  • Rice Bar
  • Rito Loco
  • San Antonio Bar & Grill
  • Shanghai Tokyo Cafe
  • Shawafel
  • Simply Banh Mi
  • Sloppy Mamas
  • Thai Chili
  • The Chickery
  • The Deli
  • Toku Japanese and Asian Cuisine
  • Tono Sushi
  • Uni Bistro
  • Uprising Muffin Company
  • Ventnor Sports
  • West Wing Cafe
  • Zorba’s Cafe

Prime members can download the Amazon or Prime Now apps or visit www.amazon.com/restaurants to enter their ZIP code and see if the service is available in their area. In ZIP codes where restaurant delivery is available, customers will see Restaurants on the home page.

To learn more about Amazon Restaurants or to download the Amazon and Prime Now mobile apps, visit amazon.com/restaurants. For restaurants interested in working with Amazon Restaurants, please visit amazon.com/restaurants-merchants.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about. Learn more about Amazon Prime Now, Shop, or Download the App at www.primenow.com.

Media Hotline:

206-266-7180
Amazon-pr@amazon.com
www.amazon.com/pr

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

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Taco Bell announces its New Year’s commitments to its food, people and restaurants

ANNOUNCES PLANS TO REMOVE XL CUPS, EXTEND ITS CAGE-FREE EGG COMMITMENT, REDUCE SODIUM, EXPAND THE LIVE MÁS SCHOLARSHIP AND MAKE MORE SUSTAINABLE CHOICES

Irvine, Calif., 2017-Jan-03 — /EPR Retail News/ — In the spirit of New Year’s, millions of resolutions will be made. Instead of setting unrealistic resolutions that start out with the best of intentions and fizzle out by February, Taco Bell is making New Year’s commitments to its food, people and restaurants – and will keep them long past February.

Taco Bell is welcoming the next 365 days with commitments that reflect more of what its fans want, less of what they don’t and build on its momentum of being a modern brand that’s current, creative and has a cause.

See what New Year’s commitments Taco Bell will be sticking to in 2017. And, as a bonus, they may just help you stick to yours.
• Getting rid of things that customers told us don’t make sense anymore:

o Taco Bell is saying goodbye to its XL soda cups in 2017.
o By early 2017, the brand will remove all antibiotics important to human medicine from its chicken across U.S. restaurants.
o Where possible, Taco Bell is removing preservatives and other additives from its food by 2018 across its U.S. restaurants.

• Giving fans more of what they want:
o Taco Bell reached its goal to serve only 100% cage-free whole eggs on its breakfast menu. Now, the brand is expanding its commitment to serve 100% cage-free egg ingredients across the core menu. That means the eggs used to create its avocado ranch sauce, creamy jalapeno sauce, habanero sauce and creamy chipotle sauce will be made with cage-free egg ingredients come January 1, 2018.

• Cutting back on the salt:
o Taco Bell reduced sodium by 15% on average across its menu since 2008, but isn’t stopping there. By 2025, Taco Bell will grow that number by an additional 10%, for a 25% reduction across its menu, while still delivering the same bold flavors fans love.

• Giving employees and customers the opportunities they need to turn their dreams into goals:
o The Live Más Scholarship will be bigger, better and bolder in 2017 with the help of the 2016 recipients and $1.3 million to support the next wave of creators, innovators and dreamers.
o Taco Bell is also committing to creating 100,000 U.S. jobs by 2022, and continuing to support all its team members with education and training programs, whether they start with the company, or stay with Taco Bell.
o Because youth are the heart and soul of the brand, Taco Bell is committing to hire 1.5 million young adults over the next 10 years.

• Being good neighbors in all its communities:
o In 2017, through its new restaurant concepts, Taco Bell will better reflect the local communities by reducing energy consumption and featuring more reclaimed materials and sustainable landscape features. The company will also update its packaging to celebrate its craveable food, while remaining environmentally conscious. Up next: The Fiesta Taco Salad is moving from plastic to a paper box.

But, some things are best left untouched. Taco Bell doesn’t think choosing food you feel good about should come at the cost of breaking the bank – so fans can expect the $1 All Day Menu and $5 Box to continue. And, because moderation is key – and more realistic – those uniquely Taco Bell, craveable, cheesy, often-indulgent items are here to stay.

With these 2017 commitments come another year full of open and honest communication with customers and fans. Taco Bell has made it policies and positions available on Ta.co for full transparency on where the brand stands on various topics. And this year, for the first time, Taco Bell is developing a Purpose Report to give you a closer look at the causes that matter to the brand.

If reflecting on the previous year before ringing in the new is your thing – check out ta.co here for a look at what Taco Bell brought you in 2016.

ABOUT TACO BELL® CORPORATION

Taco Bell Corp., a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., (NYSE: YUM), is the nation’s leading Mexican-inspired quick service restaurant. Taco Bell serves made to order and customizable tacos, burritos, and specialties such as the exclusive Doritos® Locos Tacos, gourmet-inspired Cantina Power® Menu, lower calorie Fresco options and is the first QSR restaurant to offer American Vegetarian Association (AVA)-certified menu items. Taco Bell Breakfast offers portable, classic items such as the A.M. Crunchwrap, Biscuit Taco and signature breakfast burritos. The company encourages customers to “Live Más,” both through its food and in ways such as its Feed The Beat® music program and its nonprofit organization, the Taco Bell® Foundation™. Taco Bell and its more than 350 franchise organizations have nearly 6,000 restaurants across the United States that proudly serve more than 40 million customers every week.

Like: Facebook.com/tacobell
Follow: @TacoBell (Twitter) and tacobell (Instagram)
Subscribe: YouTube.com/tacobell

MEDIA RELATIONS:

Public relations inquiries:
Tel: 949-863-3915
e-mail: media@tacobell.com

Source: Taco Bell Corp.

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Bon APPetit! HMSHost Launches Host2Coast App Featuring Dining Offerings at Airports across North America

Bethesda, Md., 2016-Dec-01 — /EPR Retail News/ — As the industry leader in culinary innovation, with more than 2,000 dining locations in airports from coast to coast, global restaurateur HMSHost launched a new mobile app for the convenience of travelers throughout North America. Host2Coast offers travelers the ability to easily locate dining options near them, view menus, and even pre-order their food at select locations. Host2Coast is now available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Travelers are always looking for ways to make their trips less stressful. The free mobile app Host2Coast makes it easy for travelers to better manage their time while at the airport. Travelers are able to find the nearest HMSHost-operated restaurant to their current location, view full restaurant menus, and pre-order and pay for their food from select restaurants directly through the app. Upcoming features will also include promotional offers, loyalty offerings, and trip details, among others.

“Host2Coast is the most comprehensive airport restaurant app available with information on thousands of food and dining locations in airports from coast to coast,” said HMSHost President and CEO Steve Johnson. “With Host2Coast, HMSHost is meeting the travelers’ demand for convenience and speed of service by putting information directly in their hands while still providing great in-person customer service when they arrive at one of our dining locations. Host2Coast, the first app of its kind to be created by a food & beverage operator, is another way HMSHost is elevating the guest experience at airports.”

The initial launch of Host2Coast pre-order dining capabilities include select HMSHost-operated restaurants at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Miami International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport.

Host2Coast will continue to roll out across airports in North America over the coming year. Through frequent upcoming enhancements, the app will continue to expand the number of participating airport restaurants where travelers can conveniently pre-order and pay for their food right from the app.

Throughout the next year, the app will evolve with new features including a loyalty program and additional traveler information that makes Host2Coast a key app for any traveler. Based on traveler feedback, HMSHost is also partnering with other mobile travel app providers to enhance Host2Coast’s capabilities to further improve the overall traveler experience.

HMSHost is dedicated to improving the traveler experience with innovative ideas, not only through technology, but also through high quality hospitality, exceptional guest service, access to leading dining options, and unique traveler experiences and culinary events such as the first-of-its-kind Airport Restaurant Month and the Channel Your Inner Chef cooking competition. To learn more about HMSHost’s vision for the industry, visit the company’s innovation webpage and watch Innovation in Action.

HMSHost Leading the Industry

HMSHost has been recognized by the industry as the top provider of travel dining with awards such as 2016 Best Overall Food & Beverage Operator (for the ninth consecutive year) and Food Operator with the Highest Regard for Customer Service (for the seventh year) by Airport Revenue News. HMSHost has also been recognized by Airports Council International-North America, receiving First Place for Best New Food and Beverage (Full-Service Concept) for 1897 Market at Charlotte Douglas International Airport and First Place for Best Innovative Consumer Experience Concept for its Channel Your Inner Chef live culinary contest at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

About HMSHost

Global restaurateur HMSHost is a world leader in creating dining for travel venues. HMSHost operates in more than 120 airports around the globe, including 44 of the 50 busiest airports in North America. The Company has annual sales in excess of $2.8 billion and employs more than 37,000 sales associates worldwide. HMSHost is a part of Autogrill Group, the world’s leading provider of food & beverage services for people on the move. With sales of around €4.3 billion in 2015, the Group operates in 31 countries and employs over 57,000 people. It manages approximately 4,200 stores in over 1,000 locations worldwide. Visit www.HMSHost.com for more information. We can also be found on Facebook at fb.com/HMSHost and on Twitter at @HMSHost.

 

Contact:

Lina Mizerek

HMSHost

Lina.Mizerek@HMSHost.com

240.694.4196

###

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Amazon Prime Now to deliver from local restaurants in Los Angeles

  • Prime Now customers in Los Angeles can now enjoy delivery from local restaurants, including Umami Burger, Baby Blues BBQ, Wokcano, Hurry Curry of Tokyo, Feast from the East, John O’Groats Restaurant, and many more
  • Free delivery for a limited time on all restaurant orders

SEATTLE, 2015-11-12 — /EPR Retail News/ — Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced that Prime Now, the company’s one-hour delivery service, has expanded in Los Angeles to include delivery from local restaurants, including Umami Burger, Baby Blues BBQ, Wokcano, Hurry Curry of Tokyo, Feast from the East, John O’Groats Restaurant, and many more. Prime members in Los Angeles can now enjoy delivery from their favorite local restaurants, as well as delivery on tens of thousands of items from Amazon and local stores such asSprouts Farmers Market, Bristol Farms, Sprinkles Cupcakes, Erewhon Organic Grocer and 99 Ranch Market.

Using the Prime Now mobile app, Prime members in Los Angeles can view participating restaurants, browse menus, place orders, track the status of their delivery, and watch in real time as an Amazon delivery driver travels from the restaurant to their delivery address. Food is delivered in an hour or less.

“Los Angeles is known for great local restaurants with cuisines from around world,” said Gus Lopez, general manager, Amazon Restaurants. “We’re excited to offer Amazon Prime customers in Los Angeles a fast and convenient way to enjoy some of the city’s best restaurants without having to stand in line or brave the traffic.”

Starting today, restaurant delivery on Prime Now is available in select Los Angeles zip codes and will expand in the coming days. Prime members can download the Prime Now app or visit amazon.com/primenow to enter their zip code and see if Prime Now is available in their area. In zip codes where restaurant delivery is available, customers will see Restaurants on the home page.

“Restaurant delivery on Prime Now makes it possible to enjoy Umami Burger even if you don’t have time to swing by and pick it up yourself,” said Meghan Dwyer, Umami Burger. “With just a few taps of the phone and the Prime Now app, customers can order their favorite menu items, like our original Umami burger and truffle fries, and have it delivered right to their door in less than an hour.”

“Whether you’re craving our Smokin’ Wings, Baby Back Ribs or Brisket, you can now place an order directly through the Prime Now app and have our unique, made-from-scratch experience delivered in less than an hour,” said Liz Gulash, Baby Blues BBQ. “We are excited to offer new and existing customers yet another convenient way to enjoy Baby Blues BBQ.”

Restaurant delivery on Prime Now offers customers transparent pricing—there are no menu markups or hidden service fees, and delivery on all orders is free for a limited time. Customers pay using the information already stored in their Amazon account and orders are backed by Amazon’s award-winning customer service.

To learn more about Prime Now, and to download the mobile app, visit amazon.com/primenow. For restaurants interested in working with Prime Now, please contact restaurant-inquiries@amazon.com.

More to Prime
Amazon Prime is an annual membership program for $99 a year that offers customers unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on more than 20 million items across all categories, unlimited Free Same-Day Delivery on more than a million items in 16 metro areas, unlimited streaming of tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes, more than one million songs, more than one thousand playlists and hundreds of stations with Prime Music, early access to select Lightning Deals all year long, free secure, unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive with Prime Photos and access to more than 800,000 books to borrow with the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. In addition, Prime members in select cities receive one and two hour delivery through Prime Now on tens of thousands of items through a mobile app. Not a member? Start a free trial of Amazon Prime at amazon.com/prime.

About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

Amazon.com, Inc.
Media Hotline, 206-266-7180
Amazon-pr@amazon.com
www.amazon.com/pr

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METRO GROUP supports online job recruiting startup Culinary Agents as it expands its services to French and Italian entrepreneurs

Düsseldorf, Germany, 2015-10-28 — /EPR Retail News/ — METRO GROUP is supporting Culinary Agents, the professional networking website for catering and hospitality sectors, to kick off operations in France and Italy this month. Starting in October, the online job recruiting startup offers its services to French and Italian entrepreneurs and specialists of restaurants, caterers and hotels, planning further expansion into European and Asian markets in 2016. METRO GROUP has acquired a stake in Culinary Agents earlier this year to forge a strategic partnership to provide added value for the customers of its international wholesale divisionMETRO Cash & Carry.

With the support of METRO Cash & Carry, an international leading player in self-service wholesale, Culinary Agents is now offering its networking services in France and Italy. Among the first customers, there are also Michelin rewarded chefs offering vacancies in their companies. The European market entry represents an important step for the New York-based startup, specializing in job matching, networking and mentoring for catering and hospitality industries. METRO Cash & Carry is now able to offer its key customer group of hotel, restaurant and catering professionals a quick and reliable access to networking and finding qualified personnel for their daily business success.

“Culinary Agents is kicking off the local operations in France and Italy, two crucial markets for METRO where we have cultivated profound relationship with the hospitality community over the past decades. With the technology and services offered by Culinary Agents, we are able to provide those entrepreneurs with assistance and solutions to their recruiting and networking”, said Pieter Boone, CEO of METRO Cash & Carry and member of the Management Board of METRO AG.

Building a global network

The market entry into Italy and France clearly showcases Culinary Agents’ international success story, giving way to further expansion into European and Asian markets in the next year. “Our mission is to help people across the restaurant, hotel, catering and overall hospitality sectors with talent sourcing, job matching, and professional networking. Entering France and Italy is a significant step for us and we definitely see great potential in the European market. The partnership with METRO will enable us to build a global network to help talent and businesses across the community”, said Alice Cheng, founder of Culinary Agents. Both European networking websites can be visited atwww.culinaryagents.fr and www.culinaryagents.it.

Founded in 2012, by Alice Cheng, Culinary Agents offers technology based solutions focused on job matching, career development and mentorship in the hospitality sector. With more than 70,000 registered users in the United States (as of Oct 2015), Culinary Agents has already proofed its role in the food, beverage and hospitality industry.

Guide Michelin promotes Culinary Agents in European markets

Culinary Agents’ technology and services are a cost-effective way to source all levels of positions for various types of hospitality businesses. Unlike other job sites, which are often static, Culinary Agents has an automatic matching process, which tees up opportunities to talent and talent to businesses, along with tools to support applicant matching, messaging, and management. The partnership with METRO Cash & Carry will enable Culinary Agents to expand broadly across Europe and Asia. To strengthen the strategic partnership, METRO also sponsors the latest edition of Guide Michelin to intensively promote Culinary Agents among the sophisticated dining and hospitality establishments throughout the US and Europe.

METRO GROUP is one of the largest and most important international retailing companies.In the financial year 2014/15 it generated sales of around €59 billion. The company operates more than 2,000 stores in 30 countries and has a headcount of around 230,000 employees. The performance of METRO GROUP is based on the strength of its sales brands that operate independently in their respective market segments: METRO/MAKRO Cash & Carry – the international leader in self-service wholesale – Media Markt and Saturn – the European market leader in consumer electronics retailing and Real hypermarkets.

Culinary Agents is changing the hotel, restaurant and catering industry (HoReCa), through its development of a professional networking and job matching website for current and aspiring HoReCa professionals. With more than 70,000 users in 30+ cities across the U.S. (as of Oct 2015), Culinary Agents supports all types of food service establishments, catering businesses, specialty retail stores, and hotels, as well as schools and non-profit organizations in the HoReCa industry. The strength of Culinary Agents’ platform is in its technology and reach. Through its website, Culinary Agents provides businesses with an efficient, cost effective way to source HoReCa talent for jobs of all levels, while enabling job seekers to represent themselves professionally, pinpoint appropriate job opportunities, and find resources to help fuel their careers. For more information, please visit www.culinaryagents.com.

METRO AG
Corporate Communications
Metro-Straße 1
D-40235 Düsseldorf

Telephone: +49 211 6886-4252
Telefax: +49 211 6886-2001

E-Mail METRO GROUP: presse@metro.de

SOURCE: METRO GROUP

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Starbucks, restaurants, food trucks and bars worldwide to fight this June for a world in which every child is born HIV free

SEATTLE, 2015-6-4 — /EPR Retail News/ — This June, Starbucks and thousands of restaurants, food trucks, and bars worldwide are uniting with one shared goal: the fight for a world in which every child is born HIV free.

Spearheaded by Mario Batali, the second annual EAT (RED) DRINK (RED) SAVE LIVES campaign offers a month-long program of special events and experiences, unique (RED) menu items and social media posts, all designed to raise money and awareness for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS.

It costs as little as 40 cents for two life-saving pills that, when taken daily, can keep an HIV+ mom alive, and prevent her from passing the virus to her unborn baby, according to the organization. Still, 600 babies are needlessly born with the virus every day. EAT (RED) DRINK (RED) SAVE LIVES rallies the culinary world to help get that number to zero.

“Food is a natural convener of people, and affords families and friends endless opportunities to share stories, ideas and discuss what’s happening in the world.  For this reason, EAT (RED) DRINK (RED) SAVE LIVES is as much about raising money for The Global Fund to Fight AIDS as it is about inspiring conversation and action around the table,” said Deborah Dugan, CEO of (RED).

Starting in June, foodies everywhere will be able to eat and drink (RED) at more than 13,000 locations – from Los Angeles to London, Monaco to Mumbai and Sydney to Seattle.

Participating U.S. Starbucks locations are offering two (RED) menu items from June 2 through June 23. For every Raspberry Swirl Pound Cake or Red Berry Cheese Danish purchased, Starbucks will donate 10 cents (US currency) to the Global Fund to help fight AIDS. Similarly, participating Canadian Starbucks locations will donate 10 cents for every Raspberry Cheese Danish and Lemon Raspberry Loaf purchased.

About (RED)
(RED)® was founded in 2006 by Bono and Bobby Shriver to engage businesses and people in the fight against AIDS. (RED) partners with the world’s most iconic brands that contribute up to 50% of profits from (RED)-branded goods and services to the Global Fund.

To date, (RED) has generated more than $315 million for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, to support HIV/AIDS grants in Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zambia. 100 percent of that money goes to work on the ground – no overhead is taken. Global Fund grants that (RED) supports have impacted more than 60 million people with prevention, treatment, counseling, HIV testing and care services.

Learn more at www.red.org and read:

Witnessing How $12 Million from Starbucks Changes Lives

For more information on this news release, contact the Starbucks Newsroom.

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IKEA to host its annual Midsummer Smörgåsbord event in the restaurants of all IKEA U.S. stores on June 12

Tickets Available for $16.99 Adults / $4.99 Kids 12 & Under; Discounted Prices for IKEA FAMILY* Members ($12.99 Adults / $2.99 Kids 12 & Under)

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., 2015-5-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — IKEA is hosting its annual Midsummer Smörgåsbord event in the restaurants of all IKEA U.S. stores on Friday, June 12. “Midsommar” (midsummer) marks the longest day of the year, and is celebrated in many parts of the world. In Sweden, Midsummer festivities to ring in the summer solstice include food, music, dancing and more, and are much-anticipated after a winter of short days and long nights. To join in on the fun of this holiday, IKEA is inviting customers to an all-you-can-eat Midsummer Smörgåsbord event featuring traditional Swedish fare. Tickets are available for $16.99 per person/$4.99 for kids 12 and under, or at a discounted rate for IKEA FAMILY* members ($12.99 per person or $2.99 for kids 12 and under).

“We love the opportunity to share Swedish traditions with our community,” said Patricia Meumann, IKEA Food Manager. “So, whether or not you have Swedish heritage, we invite everyone to come and celebrate Midsummer, and enjoy a great meal with their family and friends.”

The IKEA Midsummer menu** includes:

  • Assorted varieties of herring
  • Whole poached salmon
  • Tossed green salad
  • Cucumber salad
  • Rhode Island salad
  • Midsummer fruit salad
  • Assorted Swedish cheeses
  • Boiled dill potatoes
  • Meatballs with lingonberries
  • Hard boiled eggs with shrimp
  • Gravad lax w/ mustard sauce
  • Smoked salmon w/horseradish sauce
  • Swedish ham (served cold) w/mustard
  • Prinskorv sausage (sautéed)
  • Crispbread, thin bread
  • Ice cream
  • Assorted desserts
  • Coffee, tea, fountain beverage

Seating is limited, so those that are interested are encouraged to purchase tickets early at their local IKEA store. To locate and contact the nearest IKEA store for more details and seating times, please visit: IKEA-USA.com (go to the “Store Locator” page on www.IKEA-USA.com and enter your city/state or zip code).

If you can’t make it to a local store to celebrate, experience the Swedish Midsummer celebration at home by mixing up a sparkling elderflower drink:

HOME ACTIVITY: Midsummer Celebration
If you can’t make it to a local store, have your own Midsummer celebration at home! Swedes celebrate the greenery by gathering wildflowers and weaving them into wreaths to wear as crowns. They also use them to wrap around the Midsummer Pole and to decorate their homes. Here are a few ways to bring these touches of Midsummer’s Eve to your own summer celebration:

    • Make a wreath: To add a bit of Swedish culture to your summer party, help kids make their own wreaths with flowers or greenery from your garden. Start by making small flower bouquets (You’ll need about 18 bouquets.); keep the stems long to make the wreath sturdy. Bind each bouquet with string or thin wire. Loop a long piece of wire around the bottom of each bouquet, and create a garland by alternately placing one bouquet to the left and the next to the right. When the garland is long enough to measure around your head, fit the stems of the last bouquet under the first bouquet and bind the garland into a round wreath. Keep the wreath in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until use, and spray it with water occasionally to keep it fresh.
  • Decorate: In Swedish tradition, young women pick flowers and put them under their pillows, confident that the Midsummer flowers will reveal their future husbands in their dreams. Families decorate their homes with flowers to bring good fortune to the household until the next Midsummer. Have fun doing both!

*IKEA Carson will not be participating/will not be hosting a Midsummer Smörgåsbord event

*IKEA FAMILY is a benefits program that offers membership perks including special product discounts, sneak previews, free coffee and tea in the IKEA Restaurant, and more. Consumers can sign up for the free program online or in-store.

**Menu is subject to change due to product availability.

ABOUT IKEA
Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered home furnishings of good design and function at low prices so the majority of people can afford them. here are currently more than 360 IKEA stores in 47 countries, including 40 in the U.S. IKEA incorporates sustainability into day-to-day business and supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment. For more information see IKEA-USA.com, @IKEAUSANews, @IKEAUSA or IKEAUSA on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest.

Press Contact: Kathy Boerner
kathy.boerner@ketchum.com