Texas Steakhouse & Saloon Names Erwin-Penland Agency of Record

April 05, 2006

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C., April 10, 2006 – Leading Southeast ad agency Erwin-Penland, part of Interpublic Group’s Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, has been named agency of record for Texas Steakhouse & Saloon, a 33-unit chain of restaurants with locations in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. Billings were not disclosed.

The Greenville, S.C., agency will handle all creative and media duties and also play a key role in enhancing the brand – from menu development and design to point-of-purchase materials and internal communications. Previously, marketing duties had been handled by the in-house marketing department of Texas Steakhouse parent company Boddie-Noell Enterprises Inc., one of the country’s largest privately held restaurant companies and the largest Hardee’s franchisee in the nation.

“Erwin-Penland’s tremendous experience in the restaurant category, combined with its breadth of services and knowledge of our geography, make them a terrific partner to help us take Texas Steakhouse & Saloon to new heights,” said Texas Steakhouse President Mayo Boddie Jr. “Their proven ability to help companies establish a leadership position in extremely competitive categories will be a tremendous asset to our future success.”

Boddie cited the chain’s recent growth – nearly tripling in size over the last six years – as a key driver in the decision to partner with an outside agency. “With a one-person marketing department, we need a partner like Erwin-Penland to help us connect with new customers and increase the frequency of visits from our current guests,” said Boddie. “We’ve enjoyed success with a core group of customers, but the competitive landscape is changing and we need to do a better job of defining and communicating what makes Texas Steakhouse & Saloon unique.”

About Boddie-Noell
Boddie-Noell Enterprises, Inc. (BNE) is a diversified company with retail restaurant operations and interests in property and land development. BNE is the largest Hardee’s franchise operator in the United States., operating 316 restaurants in Virginia, North and South Carolina and Kentucky. BNE also operates 33 Texas Steakhouse & Saloon restaurants, six Café Carolina and Bakery cafes, four BBQ & Ribs Co. restaurants, and eight Moe’s Southwest Grill franchise restaurants. The company also operates an old-fashioned Highway Diner and the historic Rose Hill Conference Center near Nashville, N.C. Family-owned, BNE is headquartered in Rocky Mount, N.C., and has more than 11,000 employees. For more information, visit www.bneinc.com