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Perkins and Marie Callender’s Bakery & Restaurant Recognized with National Turkey Federation’s T.O.M. Award
Traditional American Menus Embody the Versatility of Turkey Applications
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Chicago, IL, May 18, 2008 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Sherrie Rosenblatt, National Turkey Federation
202-898-0100 ext. 7227, srosenblatt@turkeyfed.org
or Jennifer Zuckerman, Devine & Pearson
617-472-2700 ext. 135, jzuckerman@devine-pearson.com
The National Turkey Federation (NTF) presented Perkins and Marie Callender’s
Restaurant & Bakery with its Sixth Annual “Turkey on the Menu”
(T.O.M.) Award at the National Restaurant Association (NRA) convention today.
The award recognizes these casual/family style restaurants for its innovation
and versatility with turkey selections at breakfast, in sandwiches and as entrees.
Between Perkins and Marie Callender’s establishments, turkey appears in 13 menu applications. From the Country Club Omelet, the Triple Decker Club, Open Face Turkey Sandwiches and the Heartland Turkey Pot-Pie, to the traditional Holiday Feast, turkey takes its rightful place on the menu throughout the day, year round.
According to Jeff Handrich, vice president of sales, Butterball LLC, who nominated Perkins and Marie Callender’s for the award, “For the past two years, Perkins and Marie Callender’s have added more turkey dishes as regular menu items as well as special limited time offers during the holiday seasons. They are some of the most popular dishes on the menu and are very profitable for the foodservice establishment.”
“These two concepts have found ways to use the versatility of turkey products to their advantage and keep it top of mind for consumers throughout the entire year,” remarked Sherrie Rosenblatt, vice president of marketing and communications for NTF. “In addition, by adding turkey to the breakfast menu, they provide variety to their health conscious customers.”
Marie Callender’s began in the 1940s when the restaurant’s namesake began her pie business in Orange County, Calif. The successful pie business turned into a full service restaurant in 1969 and today there are 139 locations across the United States and in Mexico.
Perkins started as a single Pancake House in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1958. Although they still serve great pancakes, Perkins is now home to high quality food with unsurpassed value at nearly 500 locations across 35 states and Canada.
Bobbie Mellard, vice president of purchasing and distribution for Perkins and Marie Callender’s Restaurant & Bakery, accepted the award. “We are so honored to receive the T.O.M. Award from the National Turkey Federation,” stated Mellard. “The turkey menu applications are always guest favorites and we pride ourselves on the same quality and care that started our establishment’s decades ago.”
Winning the casual/family style category of the T.O.M Award, Perkins and Marie Callender’s Bakery & Restaurant joined Jimmy John’s, winner of the fast food category, and ARAMARK Corporation, winner of the non-commercial category, at the 2008 reception held at the NRA convention. Past recipients of the award include Bob Evans, Wendy’s International, Mimi’s Café, the Machine Shed, Schlotzsky’s and Subway.
National Turkey Federation members nominate the foodservice chains that exemplify the criteria of the T.O.M. award. Entrant applications address questions regarding turkey menu applications, the items’ consumer appeal, how the chain promotes the menu items through marketing and turkey’s food cost percentage. A panel of foodservice professionals rates the entries on consumer appeal, versatility, taste, value, and how the turkey application benefits the chain operation.
About the National Turkey Federation
The National Turkey Federation (NTF) is the national advocate for all segments
of the $8 billion turkey industry, providing services and conducting activities
that increase demand for its members' products by protecting and enhancing their
ability to profitably provide wholesome, high-quality, nutritious products.
Its award-winning web site, www.EatTurkey.com, offers consumers, food professionals
and the media an extensive library of information including healthy eating and
restaurant trends, turkey cuts and purchasing tips, turkey nutrition and cooking
techniques, and turkey facts and trivia. Additionally, the site presents a searchable
database of more than 1,800 recipes, offers a recipe E-mail program and provides
special seasonal and holiday ideas. The National Turkey Federation is headquartered
in Washington, D.C.
