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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
JUNE 17, 2008 |
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Ready for a Fun Family Night Out?
BOSTON, June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Every parent knows the feeling of having a bored, unhappy child ruin a restaurant meal. From crayons at the table to interesting decor to dining experiences that keep kids engaged and happy, dining out with young ones in tow is about more than just what's on the menu. To help parents find the best bet for eating out with their youngsters, Parents magazine put more than 50 full-service and buffet-style restaurant chains to the test, evaluating the elements that contribute to a great night out for families with children. Today, the magazine announced that Chicago Uno Grill(R) ranked among its top 10 Best Family Restaurants at number 4.
The survey road tested the fun factor of chain restaurants nationwide, as well as the health elements that are so important to parents. For kids, Parents quizzed restaurants on their crayon quotient, since pre- and post-dinner coloring can be a fun diversion. Kids also want a variety of fun food on the menu. One of the most popular activities for kids at Uno is the Make Your Own Pizza option: children are given aprons, thin-crust pizza dough, sauce and toppings. From those, they can make their own delicious creations, which are baked and brought back to the table for dinner.
"We take children seriously as our customers and want their experience to be every bit as enjoyable as their parents'," says Frank W. Guidara, Uno's chief executive officer. "By paying attention to the details that make children happy diners, we enhance the experience of their parents, as well."
For parents, the magazine asked about reservation policies that prevent long waits with hungry kids, and looked for adequate changing stations, accommodations for children with food allergies, and menus with healthier options, as well as being artificial trans-fat free.
"We are pleased to see that restaurant chains are offering healthier options for the whole family, but many can still do better," says Sally Lee, editor-in-chief of Parents magazine. "In particular, parents are concerned about trans fats, so we made it a point to note which restaurants still have them in at least some of their menu items."
Uno was the first national casual dining chain to eliminate artificial trans fats from their menu. In April, Uno Chicago Grill was chosen from more than 43 national chain restaurants to top Health magazine's list of America's healthiest chain restaurants. Nutrition experts, dieticians, and food editors cited the company's lower-calorie flatbread pizzas, a menu with zero grams artificial trans fat -- as well as a gluten-free menu for those with Celiac disease -- a wide selection of grilled entrees, multi-grain pastas, shade-grown coffees and organic teas, among several other highlights in making their determination.
Uno also hosts special kid-focused programs including Pizza Maker field trips. Designed for children in grades Kindergarten through 6, these field trips allow children to see the inner workings of a restaurant, including a walk inside the extra-large walk-in refrigerator. They are given their own dough, sauce and toppings and are able to make their own pizzas. Reservations for these field trips can be made at http://www.unos.com.
For more information on Parents' list of the 10 Best Family Restaurant Chains, visit http://www.parents.com. For more information on Uno, and its healthy meal options for children, visit http://www.unos.com.
About Uno Chicago Grill: Based in Boston, Uno Restaurant Holdings Corporation includes more than 200 company-owned and franchised full-service units located in 29 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Honduras, and Saudi Arabia. The company also operates a consumer foods division which supplies airlines, movie theaters, hotel restaurants and supermarkets with both frozen and refrigerated private-label foods and branded Uno products. For more information, visit http://www.unos.com.
SOURCE Uno Chicago Grill
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