Restaurant.com Launches 'Restaurant of the Month' to Spotlight Restaurants Among 14,000 Partners

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Restaurant.com today announced that The Claddagh Irish Pub has been named the first featured restaurant for its new "Restaurant of the Month" program. The program was launched as part of Restaurant.com's 10-year anniversary to highlight exemplary Restaurant.com restaurants. Prominent homepage and Web page placement and other promotions give honorees exclusive exposure in front of more than seven million diners. The program also offers diners new ways to explore the selected restaurant, through background, recipes, personnel profiles, photos and more.

"We launched the Restaurant of the Month program to honor the different kinds of restaurants that make Restaurant.com so unique and to give our site visitors the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at restaurants across the country," said Cary Chessick, Restaurant.com president and CEO. "Claddagh's unique Irish traditions, distinctive atmosphere and award-winning dishes make it a great fit for the first 'Restaurant of the Month.'"

The Restaurant of the Month selection process is based on criteria including the restaurant's popularity with diners, high standards for service, unique cuisine, memorable ambiance, history and more. Claddagh's mission to provide diners a "fun, friendly and exuberant atmosphere" and strong commitment to the local communities, including giving back to local, regional and national charities, factored in to this initial selection.

Founded in 1999 by Pat McDonagh, Claddagh aims to bring the rich traditions of Irish pubs to America. Initially, McDonagh created an authentic "pub house" experience with a focus on the importance of community in a single location in Indianapolis. Claddagh has since grown to 15 locations in eight states. The restaurant strives to offer guests an authentic, best-in-class dining experience, in touch with local communities.

"We're excited to be recognized as the 'Restaurant of the Month' and feel that our participation in the Restaurant.com program helps us meet new diners," said Ciaran Dillon, CFO for The Claddagh Irish Pub. "Operators should remember that the guest is number one and everything you do should be considered from the point of view of adding value, improving, or adding 'wow' to their experience."

All selected restaurants are featured on the Restaurant.com homepage with a link that directs site visitors to the "Restaurant of the Month" Web page (www.Restaurant.com/Claddagh). Restaurant of the Month restaurants are also honored within emails distributed to millions of Restaurant.com email subscribers. Featured restaurants are commended on the Restaurant.com Facebook fan page and Twitter feed.

For visitors, the Restaurant of the Month Web page spotlights exclusive recipes, including Claddagh's signature "Salmon Cakes," along with profiles of the people behind the success of each restaurant, plus food and cultural facts and "flavorful" photos. Current Claddagh photos, for example, show traditional Irish architecture and style with vibrant, customary colors and décor. In addition, Restaurant.com includes a zip code search box on the page so site visitors can search for similar cuisines to the spotlighted one or explore the many other options that restaurants participating in the Restaurant.com program offer.

"Restaurants are the heart of our communities and each one has a compelling story that any diner can relate to," said Chessick. "Claddagh and all of our future Restaurant of the Month honorees really exemplify the heart and soul that makes up all the restaurants on the Restaurant.com program."

Throughout 2010, Restaurant.com is paying tribute to devoted customers, restaurant partners, clients, staff and community members through a series of anniversary activities. The Restaurant of the Month program continues the celebration. To learn more about the program and the spotlighted restaurant for March, The Claddagh Irish Pub, visit: www.Restaurant.com/Claddagh.  

About Restaurant.com

Restaurant.com is the trusted and valued source connecting restaurants and diners nationwide. The company offers savings at more than 14,000 restaurants nationwide with more than 25,000 daily gift certificate options. Restaurant.com brings people together to relax, converse and enjoy well-prepared and -served meals at affordable prices. To date, Restaurant.com customers have saved more than $100 million through the gift certificate program. Restaurant.com has operated since 1999 and is based in Arlington Heights, Ill.

SOURCE Restaurant.com