DALLAS, April 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Twelve years, 675 wishes and more than $4.8 million later, Maggiano's Little Italy^® is proud to kick off its annual "Eat-A-Dish for Make-A-Wish" campaign benefitting Make-A-Wish^®, a nonprofit organization that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. This year, the brand is leveraging its popular "Eat-A-Dish" menu to highlight the availability of gluten-friendly offerings at restaurants nationwide as well as guests' ability to customize their meal for a memorable dining experience any time of the year.

From April 30 to July 8, a portion of each chef's special purchased from Maggiano's first gluten-friendly menu will help make unforgettable experiences possible for children like 15-year-old Patricia, who is battling cancer. In addition to naming a dish after her, the brand is sponsoring Patricia's wish to travel to Italy this summer and explore the country's rich architecture, culture and food. View this video to learn more about Patricia and the story behind her dish.

"At Maggiano's, our passion is making guests feel special," said Steve Provost, president of Maggiano's Little Italy and chairman of Make-A-Wish North Texas. "Every year at this time, we leverage the generosity of our brand and the kind hearts of our loyal guests to create memorable wish moments for hundreds of special children who live near our 49 restaurants. Our general managers, chefs and more than 6,000 teammates view this as a time of year when we bring our brand passion to life in the service of others, and we hope this 'Eat-A-Dish' menu leads to record donations and puts smiles on the faces of wish children everywhere."

To participate in this year's "Eat-A-Dish" campaign, guests just need to dine at Maggiano's from April 30 through July 8 and enjoy a gluten-friendly feature from the "Eat-A-Dish" menu. In return, Maggiano's will donate $1 to Make-A-Wish for every dish and $.50 for every glass of Wish Lemonade ordered from the special menu.

In addition to these giving opportunities, Maggiano's will sell star-shaped cards, which feature inspirational stories of wish children, to guests for a donation of their choice. Guests who donate more than $10 will receive a commemorative star with a $10 coupon to be used during a future visit. To help raise awareness outside of the restaurant, Maggiano's will also donate $1 to Make-A-Wish for every new "like" to Maggiano's Facebook page throughout the duration of the campaign, up to $25,000.

"Maggiano's gives guests the ability to turn their dining experience into a chance to help grant wishes," said David Williams, president and chief executive officer of Make-A-Wish America. "We are grateful to Maggiano's for providing its guests with the opportunity to make life better for wish kids nationwide."

The "Eat-A-Dish" menu is available for dine-in or carryout and features the following gluten-friendly dishes:

• Shrimp and Avocado Lemonette - mixed greens, smoked bacon with a lemon vinaigrette
• Patricia's Cheese Ravioli (choose this and take a Classic Pasta home for tomorrow compliments of the chef) - gluten-free ravioli, parmesan broth, spring vegetables and a truffle mascarpone
• Grilled Jumbo Shrimp - sweet corn relish and honey calabrian glaze or Tuscan potatoes, arugula and lemon (available April 30 to June 3) / sauteed spinach, Fontina cheese with a lobster cream sauce (available June 4 to July 8)
• Creme Brulee Trio (available April 30 to June 3) - chocolate honey, caramelized honey and citrus
• Flourless Chocolate Cake (available June 4 to July 8) - chocolate cake, mixed berries, hot fudge with vanilla bean ice cream

To learn more about Maggiano's "Eat-A-Dish" campaign and gluten-friendly offerings, visit http://www.maggianos.com/blog or http://brinker.mediaroom.com/maggianosgluten.

About Maggiano's Little Italy

Maggiano's Little Italy^® specializes in Italian-American cuisine served in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Maggiano's menu features both classic and contemporary recipes – authentic pastas, signature salads, prime steaks, fresh seafood, regular chef specials and specialty desserts. Maggiano's 49 locations nationwide offer lunch and dinner, delivery, carryout service and banquet spaces for special occasions. Maggiano's is owned and operated by Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT), one of the world's leading casual dining restaurant companies, serving more than one million guests daily. Brinker owns or franchises more than 1,600 restaurants in 30 countries and two territories. In addition to Maggiano's, Brinker owns and operates Chili's^® Grill & Bar.

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About Make-A-Wish

Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 U.S. study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a wish-come-true has positive impacts on the health of children. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illness, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. Headquartered in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world's leading children's charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 27,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the country every 37 minutes. It has granted more than 254,000 wishes since its inception in 1980; more than 14,200 in 2014 alone. Visit Make-A-Wish at wish.org to learn more.

Video - http://youtu.be/PP0My2vVMDc

SOURCE Maggiano's Little Italy

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