Dallas - 15 April, 2005 -

Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza, the rising casual dining concept has completed the roll out of its new menu program to resonate with the tastes of U.S. patrons system-wide in 12 U.S. States and one Mexico territory. Boston’s, which fuses the casual dining/family friendly restaurant with an adjacent sports bar, reengineered its menu over a six-month period to focus on signature items that best appeal to casual diners searching for new, interesting and delicious alternatives to the norm. The result is a new best-in-category menu with first-rate food photography that takes strategic aim at larger, established casual dining concepts. Reengineering process qualifies products “This effort was far more than a redesign,” said Jim Treliving, president and CEO of Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza. “We strategically analyzed every menu item. When the time came to print, we had dropped several items, enhanced others, and added just as many new products desired by our U.S. customers.” “We believe that the food presentation starts with the menu it’s our brand promise,” said. Howard Terry, Boston’s Vice President of Marketing, who, along with Gil Aragona, VP Operations and long-time Macaroni Grille executive, led the menu development initiative. “By incorporating a more upscale look and professional food photography that showcases our signature dishes, we’ve created a best-in-category menu that competes with anyone.” According to Terry, the reengineering process began with a thorough examination of more than 100 menu items. During the process, 10 items were re-engineered and 20 items created by Boston’s new corporate chef were added. “Our menu team gave consideration to perception, positioning, pricing and performance,” Terry said, “and we then turned to top design consultants at Turnstile Marketing, a Dallas-based agency led by Creative Director Scott Crum, to make the presentation of those items in the menu as compelling as the dishes themselves.” The result is an easy-to-navigate, four-color menu featuring photography by renowned food photographer Rusty Hill that truly represents the Boston’s mantra: “Eating is Believing.” Led by Boston’s new corporate chef, Bud Boswell, Boston’s Menu Development Team consists of many disciplines within the company including input from key members from Product Development, Operations, Training and Marketing, and the real decision makers Boston’s customers. The team is constantly building unique recipes and exploring exciting flavor profiles to outpace industry trends, but the Boston’s customer actually had the final say on what made it to the new menu. Each quarter, Boston’s offers trial items on a feature sheet. Only the most popular features were considered for the new menu. Customer response positions Boston’s for future growth “The response to our new menu has been overwhelmingly positive, both from our customers and our franchisees,” Treliving said. “The new menu does far more than present our customers with a product and price list. Instead, it positions Boston’s for future growth and stands up to the larger, established competition by conveying the quality and uniqueness of our product and introducing customers to the Boston’s experience a fun place with serious food.” About Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza restaurants offer a contemporary, lively atmosphere and a separate-seating sports bar customized with memorabilia of favorite teams. Restaurants feature big screen TVs with satellite dishes and Pay-Per-View to showcase sports and special events. The result is a high-energy setting for families, sports enthusiasts and even team members. While Boston’s specializes in gourmet pizza and pasta, the casual-dining restaurant menu features more than 100 items including soups, salads and gourmet subs, along with sports bar favorites, such as chicken wings and ribs. Integral to the “Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza” ambience is the sports theme customized to each market with banners and memorabilia of regional teams. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the well-proven concept first saw U.S. territory in 1998. Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza mirrors the successful Boston Pizza concept, which is franchised by Boston Pizza Restaurants, LP’s sister company, Boston Pizza International Inc. (BPI). With 2003 sales of more than $350 million, Boston’s has enjoyed strong growth, opening 200+ outlets in seven Canadian provinces, two Canadian territories, 12 U.S. States and seven Mexico territories Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza grows primarily through franchise agreements and currently has agreements to develop more than 80 new restaurants, including locations in Arizona, Florida, California, Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, California, Tennessee, Texas, Washington State, and Wisconsin. Boston Pizza Restaurants, LP is headquartered in Dallas, Texas and can be found online at www.bostonsgourmet.com. The pizza itself also reflects the restaurant’s unique style. Boston’s boasts hand-pressed, freshly made medium-thick crust and a rich signature sauce all topped with fresh ingredients resulting in a signature gourmet flavor.

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