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Nation's Restaurant News,  Feb 19, 2007  

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Los Angeles -- Nation's Restaurant News' 13th Annual Hot Concepts! Awards Celebration, one of the premier award programs in foodservice, will take place Saturday evening, Sept. 29, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel here.

Previous Hot Concepts! banquets to present the highly coveted honors have been held in Chicago in May, but future celebrations will be in different cities around the country, starting with Los Angeles. The shift in date and location was designed to provide attendees with a unique experience every year.

"The Hot Concepts! Celebration recognizes entrepreneurs who are the risk-takers and thought leaders in our industry, developing the latest new and fresh concepts," said Alan Gould, publisher of Nation's Restaurant News. "Therefore, it's fitting that the Hot Concepts! brand and recognition represent these folks and continue to evolve into something fresh and exciting every year."

Since 1995, when the program started, dozens of winners have gone on to become major players in the restaurant industry. Notables include RE Chang's China Bistro, Capital Grille, Cheesecake Factory, Jamba Juice, Cosi, Joe's Crab Shack, Big Bowl, Einstein Bros., Maggiano's Little Italy, Yard House, Seasons 52, Fogo de Chao, Brio Tuscan Grill and Pei Wei Asian Diner, to name a few.

In addition, in 2001 NRN added a Hot! Again category to its roster of honorees. That award is presented to an established company that has significantly revitalized its brand. Previous Hot! Again winners include Arby's, Johnny Rockets, Checkers and A&W Restaurants.

Hot Concepts! honorees are selected by NRN's editors with input from The Council of Sizzle, an advisory board comprised of top executives of former winners.

The Hot Concepts! award recognizes up-and-coming restaurant companies with clearly defined concepts that are delivered in an innovative fashion and embraced by consumers. Each winner must have a solid financial standing as reported by Dunn & Bradstreet. Winners also must have at least five locations, or a presence in at least three markets, and have opened their first unit within the past seven years.

The Hot Concepts! Celebration is one of three major foodservice events scheduled for Los Angeles at the end of September. It will share the spotlight with the Culinary R&D Conference to be held Sept. 28-29 and the 48th Annual Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators, or MUFSO, conference to be held Sept. 30-Oct. 3. All three events are managed and produced by Nation's Restaurant News.

For information about the 2007 Hot Concepts! Awards Celebration, contact Nation's Restaurant News' Jesse Parziale at jparzial@nrn.com or visit www.nrnhotconcepts.com.

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