Romano's "Kitchen Counter" Guarantees Scratch-Made Lunch In Seven Minutes

HOUSTON, Nov. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- A first in the restaurant industry, guests at Romano's Macaroni Grill now have complete control over their restaurant experience at lunchtime — choosing between full-service or counter-style ordering. Today the concept launched "Romano's Kitchen Counter," a fast-casual format at more than 130 Romano's Macaroni Grill locations nationwide.

"Augmenting the guest options with counter service at an existing casual dining restaurant, at this scale, is unprecedented," said John Gilbert, president, Romano's Macaroni Grill. "Enjoying a terrific made-to-order meal, any time of day, is now incredibly easy on our guests. It's so simple, Romano's Kitchen Counter guests will receive a scratch-made, high-quality meal for $7, delivered in seven minutes or the meal is free."

Today's lunchtime consumer often faces a time crunch. According to a recent survey from OfficeTeam, a professional staffing company, nearly half of workers say their typical lunch break lasts 30 minutes or less. At the same time, several studies show that workers who leave their desks for lunch or other breaks have been shown to be more productive, giving the brain the boost it needs. This reality moved many restaurant consumers towards the high quality, no sacrifice, fast-casual category.

Romano's Kitchen Counter will provide guests with the cost-savings they seek without compromising on taste and quality. "This is a perfect option for our guests who crave great flavor and made-to-order meals, but who don't have a lot of time to spend on their lunch break," said Gilbert.

The hand-crafted, $7 menu items at Romano's Kitchen Counter range from sandwiches and pastas to salads, including the popular Chicken Parmesan Sandwich, Spaghetti Bolognese, Chicken Milanese Panzanella salad and Chicken Caesar Calzonetto. All are delivered within seven minutes of ordering or the item is free.

More than 130 existing Romano's Macaroni Grill locations will begin Romano's Kitchen Counter starting today. "Our restaurants are in busy neighborhoods, and office and retail areas with plenty of parking," concluded Gilbert. "We are now the perfect choice for a fast lunch, either in our open dining rooms or to-go."

For more information, visit www.macaronigrill.com/kitchencounter.

About Romano's Macaroni Grill^®
Part of Ignite Restaurant Group's (Nasdaq: IRG) portfolio of restaurants, Romano's Macaroni Grill serves Italian favorites such as handcrafted pastas and lunch and dinner entrees inspired by the Italian countryside. With locations worldwide, the restaurant blends Italian traditions with progressive culinary inspiration from all regions of Italy and the U.S. An extensive wine list and the chain's unique honor wine system finish out the experience in this polished casual atmosphere. For more information, visit www.macaronigrill.com.

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