ALPHARETTA, Ga., April 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- McAlister's^® Deli, a leading fast casual restaurant, announced today it has signed an agreement with Pennsylvania State University to open a location in the HUB-Robeson Center on the University Park campus in State College, Pa.

"As we continue to develop McAlister's Deli nationwide, opening in non-traditional locations like colleges and universities is an important part of our growth strategy. Penn State has one of the largest self-operated foodservice programs of any college or university in the U.S. and we are excited to be working with the university to bring McAlister's to State College," said McAlister's president and CEO Frank Paci. "We look forward to introducing our great food and genuine hospitality to the thousands of Penn State students, faculty and Nittany Lion fans that visit the University Park campus every year."

McAlister's currently operates in more than 20 non-traditional venues and expects to continue its growth in these venues as the brand expands across the U.S.

Technomic^® recognized McAlister's as the top kid-friendly fast casual chain in its 2014 Chain Restaurant Consumers' Choice Awards, and as one of the Top Five Chains Overall in its 2013 "Consumer Restaurant Brand Metrics" Report. Nation's Restaurant News^® named McAlister's the top limited-service sandwich chain in its 2014 Consumer Picks Survey. FastCasual.com also ranked the brand No. 2 on its "Top 100 Movers and Shakers" list of 2013 and named McAlister's President and CEO Frank Paci one of the "Top 20 People" in the industry to watch.

To learn more about franchising opportunities with McAlister's, please contact (888) 855-DELI (3354) or franchising@mcalistersdeli.com, or visit www.mcalistersdelifranchise.com.

About McAlister's
Founded in 1989, McAlister's^® Deli is a fast casual restaurant chain known for its sandwiches, spuds, soups, salads, desserts and McAlister's Famous Sweet Tea™. In addition to dine-in and take-out service, McAlister's also offers catering with a selection of sandwich trays, box lunches, desserts, a hot spud bar and more. With numerous industry accolades, the McAlister's brand has more than 320 restaurants in 24 states. The company has corporate offices in both Alpharetta, Ga., and Ridgeland, Miss. For more information, visit www.mcalistersdeli.com.

CONTACT: Ellie Mannix 
                  Fish Consulting 
                  (954) 893-9150 
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SOURCE McAlister's Deli