Taco Cabana® Welcomes Sister Restaurant Pollo Tropical® To Hometown

SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Pollo Tropical, Florida's beloved fast-casual concept known for its citrus-marinated, flame-grilled chicken and authentic, island-inspired sauces and sides, continues its Texas expansion with the opening of its first San Antonio location. It will share its grand opening celebration and adjacent pad site at 6819 N. Loop 1604 W. with the newest location of its famous sister restaurant, San Antonio's own Taco Cabana, which will debut its new prototype restaurant design.

Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana, both owned by Dallas-based Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc., will host a combined grand opening on Sept. 20. Company and city officials will attend the ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m. Festivities will begin when the doors open at 10:30 a.m.

San Antonio-based Taco Cabana COO Todd Coerver and Miami-based Pollo Tropical COO Danny Meisenheimer will continue their friendly rivalry, born from the Spurs-Heat NBA Finals matchups, with a robosurfing contest on a simulated surfing machine. The winner gets bragging rights and will donate to Meals on Wheels of San Antonio. Guests at the grand opening celebration also can take a turn on the robosurfer and enter to win prizes including Free Chicken for a Year* from Pollo Tropical, Free Taco Cabana for a Year**, an iPad Mini, T-shirts, spin-and-win prizes and more.

"We are really looking forward to bringing a taste of the islands to a new city, particularly our sister restaurant Taco Cabana's hometown," said Meisenheimer. "Pollo Tropical offers a uniquely tropical twist on fresh, healthy, hand-prepared foods, giving families the convenience and variety of meal choices they can feel good about eating every day."

Pollo Tropical's menu is a melting pot of culinary cultures, featuring the distinctive bold and tangy flavors of the Caribbean. Savory island spices, mixed herbs and citrus are blended into rubs and marinades that enhance the flavors of fresh vegetables, pork, beef and signature chicken dishes. The company has built a loyal following for its fresh, never frozen, bone-in chicken that is marinated in tropical fruit juices and spices and then flame-grilled to perfection and served quartered or halved.

Guests can choose options that include platters, Create Your Own TropiChops^®, sandwiches, salads, wraps, kids meals and family meals. In addition to its signature bone-in chicken, Pollo Tropical offers boneless, skinless grilled chicken breasts, Mojo Roast Pork, Calypso Beef and Grilled Tropical Wings. Made-from-scratch sides include rice, beans, yuca with garlic sauce, sweet plantains and many more. Pollo Tropical's famous Saucing Island brings on the flavor – and a little heat – with 10 signature sauces, including Curry Mustard, Guava BBQ, Pineapple Rum, Cilantro Garlic and Spicy Poyo-Poyo. The restaurant uses ingredients without added trans fats or hormones.

More familiar to San Antonians is the new Taco Cabana next door, which will unveil the company's new, contemporary restaurant prototype to the San Antonio market. An open kitchen will showcase Taco Cabana's signature flame grill and tortilla-making station, along with a new look and feel. This location will also feature its chef-inspired limited-time-only "Salsa Especial!" salsa program, including the current featured salsa, sweet and smoky Roasted Tomatillo.

"We look forward to sharing our new restaurant design with our hometown and having our sister restaurant at our side – folks are really in for something different and special," said Coerver. "The dynamic growth happening in and around UTSA is generating excitement for new dining options, and local residents will have a lot of great meal choices at this address – from our authentic, handmade Mexican food they've loved for years, to the new, island-inspired flavors next door at Pollo Tropical."

The new Taco Cabana will be open 24 hours every day for dine-in and drive-thru service. Pollo Tropical, which will open a second San Antonio location at 838 Bitters Road later this year, will be open daily from 10:30 a.m. to midnight.

*Complete details regarding Free Chicken for a Year, including contest rules, odds of winning and eligibility, can be found at www.pollotropical.com.
**Complete details regarding Taco Cabana for a Year can be found at www.tacocabana.com/tcforayear. 

About Pollo Tropical
Pollo Tropical, a subsidiary of Fiesta Restaurant Group^®, is a Caribbean-inspired fast-casual concept known for its fresh, flame-grilled chicken marinated in a proprietary blend of tropical fruit juices and spices, as well as authentic, made-from-scratch side dishes, soups, salads and wraps. The Miami-based company, founded in 1988, currently owns and operates 117 locations in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas. There are also five licensed restaurants located on college campuses and 33 franchised locations throughout the Caribbean, Central America, South America and Puerto Rico. For more information on Pollo Tropical, including employment opportunities, menu and nutritional information as well as information about international franchising, visit Pollo Tropical's website at www.pollotropical.com.

About Taco Cabana 
Taco Cabana, a subsidiary of Fiesta Restaurant Group (NASDAQ: FRGI), was founded more than 35 years ago in San Antonio and specializes in authentic Mexican food, made fresh by hand, including fajitas, quesadillas, flautas, enchiladas, burritos, tacos, flour tortillas and a selection of made-from-scratch salsas and sauces. Restaurants feature open-display cooking, a selection of beer and tequila margaritas, patio dining and drive-thru windows. As of Jan. 1, 2014, Taco Cabana operates more than 170 company-owned and franchised restaurants in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

About Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc.
Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc., owns, operates and franchises Pollo Tropical, Taco Cabana and Cabana Grill^™ restaurant brands. The brands specialize in the operation of fast-casual, ethnic restaurants that offer distinct and unique flavors with broad appeal at a compelling value. The brands feature made-from-scratch cooking, fresh salsa bars, drive-thru service and catering. For more information about Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc., visit the corporate website at www.frgi.com.

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Brooke Feachen
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SOURCE Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc.