Meyer Natural Angus - Current News

T.G.I. FRIDAY'S® RESTAURANTS SET INDUSTRY PRECEDENT WITH
ALL-NATURAL ANGUS BEEF BURGER

Friday's Is The Largest National Casual Dining Restaurant Chain Featuring Source-Verified All-Natural Meyer Natural Angus™ Burgers

DALLAS, July 16, 2001 - One of America's greatest tasting hamburgers just got better. Continuing its commitment to serving great tasting and high quality food, T.G.I. Friday's® is now the largest casual dining restaurant chain to feature all-natural Meyer Natural Angus™ beef burgers. This new menu item is regarded as the highest quality, best tasting hamburger available in the U.S., translating into a T.G.I. Friday's burger with mouth-watering flavor and incredible tenderness.
With Americans increasingly craving high quality beef, T.G.I. Friday's timely introduction of an all-natural Angus burger resonates with today's burger connoisseur and consumers who want the assurance of source-verified, all-natural hamburger. These new 100 percent natural Angus beef burgers are made from Meyer Natural Angus cattle, raised on a strict diet of wholesome forages and grains. The cattle are never administered hormones, antibiotics or animal byproducts. In addition, a single source of origin helps ensure the quality of the hamburger from supplier to restaurant locations.

"The introduction of this innovative product is a direct response to our guests' desire for great tasting food made with the finest ingredients," said John Gilbert, senior vice president of marketing for Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, parent company of T.G.I. Friday's restaurants.

"When you think of innovation, words like high-tech and futuristic often come to mind. But sometimes, innovation means looking back instead of ahead - back to a time when ranchers raised their animals without antibiotics or artificial growth hormones. Turning to nature, instead of technology, put us on the path to our latest innovation, Friday's 100 percent natural Angus burger."

In addition to its remarkable taste, Friday's selected Meyer Natural Angus beef for its hamburgers for several additional reasons:

Meyer's 2001 Gold Medal from the American Tasting Institute for all-natural Angus is proof positive that this is the best tasting burger available.
Meyer Natural Angus completely rejects growth-stimulating antibiotics and added hormones. In the livestock industry, it is common practice to administer antibiotics in the feed of conventionally raised animals to stimulate their appetite to make them grow faster. In addition, the American Medical Association recently published concern about the use of antibiotics in livestock citing alarm about antibiotic resistance in humans. T.G.I. Friday's use of all-natural hamburger is a step in the right direction regarding this issue.
Meyer Natural Angus is certified by the American Humane Association.
Meyer Natural Angus supplies source-verified hamburger. This means that burgers served in Friday's restaurants can be traced back to the Meyer Natural Angus ranch from which they came - guests can rest assured that Friday's burgers are made from cattle carefully raised on an open range, free from stress, antibiotics, and hormones.

"With just under one million burgers served each month, Friday's all-natural burgers will be a real crowd pleaser for our guests, especially during lunch time when our burgers are most popular. Now our guests will have the opportunity to enjoy hamburgers made of beef carefully raised to ensure the best tasting burger available," said Gilbert. "We're so confident that America will love our new Meyer Natural Angus burgers that we're already looking at adding Meyer Natural Angus steaks to our menu."

"The introduction of Meyer Natural Angus burgers by T.G.I. Friday's is a bold step forward in the restaurant industry," said Ray Killian, president of Meyer Natural Angus. "Once again Friday's has demonstrated its commitment to the consumer by researching the market, locating and demanding the safest, highest quality food products available. The introduction of the Meyer Natural Angus all-natural beef burger will strengthen Friday's® position as the industry trendsetter in the eyes of the consumer."

Available in all domestic T.G.I. Friday's restaurant locations, guests will be able to order six different burgers made from all-natural Angus beef. Burgers available include: hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon cheeseburger, peppercorn burger, barbecue burger, and the mushroom onion Swiss burger. Each burger will be served with a side of Friday's fries.

Since the first T.G.I. Friday's restaurant opened its doors in New York City in 1965, Friday's restaurants have embodied the spirit of a quintessential American bistro for millions of guests. Now operating in 53 countries, Friday's restaurants feature trend-setting American appetizers, entrées and beverages, and red-and-white stripes. The restaurant has popularized many American favorites, including the "potato skins" appetizer and a wide array of frozen and ice cream drinks. Friday's menu features nearly 100 menu items including entrée salads, pasta dishes and chargrilled entrées like the popular and innovative Jack Daniel's® Grill.

About Meyer Natural Angus ™ Hamburger
Headquartered in Missoula, Montana, Meyer Natural Angus produces the highest quality beef available today without the use of antibiotics or added hormones. With specifications for "natural" stricter than those of the USDA, there are several points of difference between Meyer Natural Angus™ hamburger and conventional hamburger. The USDA is focused only on the end product and not the process. No antibiotics for the life of the animal, no added hormone use, no animal byproducts, and humane treatment are all a part of the Meyer Natural Angus program and not required by the USDA.

Visit the Meyer Natural Angus™ web site at http://www.meyerbeef.com/ to learn more about the company, including the American Humane Association's Free Farmed Certification.

About T.G.I. Friday's
Carlson Restaurants Worldwide Inc., the parent company of TGI Friday's Inc., is a privately held company owned by Minneapolis-based Carlson Companies, Inc., a world leader in the hospitality, travel and marketing industries. As of May 21, 2001 Carlson Restaurants operates, franchises and licenses 706 restaurants in 53 countries, including T.G.I. Friday's. Carlson Restaurants Worldwide is included in the Carlson Hospitality Worldwide division of Carlson Companies, Inc.