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Buffets,
Inc. Announces Name Change to Ovation®
Brands
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30-year
old company reinvents itself and relaunches new Main Street Concept
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Greer,
SC – October 2013 / Hospitality 1ST / Buffets, Inc. – parent company
to Ryan’s®, HomeTown®
Buffet, Old Country Buffet®,
Country Buffet®, Fire Mountain® and Tahoe Joe’s Famous Steakhouse®
– celebrates its 30th anniversary with a corporate name change. Buffets,
Inc. is now Ovation® Brands. The new name and logo were unveiled at
events held at corporate offices this week. At these events, the announcement
of the new name was positioned as the culmination of a significant and
ongoing reinvention of the company’s brands and culture.
“We
are a different company now, we are foundationally about continuous innovation,”
said Anthony Wedo, CEO of Ovation
Brands. “We are passionate about building a new operating culture across
all of our brands. The name, Ovation Brands, represents a call to
action for all our teammates and guests. Our goal is to ensure that each
and every day our six brands are worthy of applause!”
Wedo
also stated that the name Ovation Brands allows the company to properly
showcase a greater breadth of brands that “Buffets, Inc.” did not. “This
company is about reinventing the guest experience, whether in the buffet
space, the polished casual concept, or anywhere else we choose to expand,”
he said.
Transformation
Underway
In
2013, the company launched the Main Street concept in the Denver market
as part of re-imaging efforts. All seven Country Buffet restaurants in
the Denver market were completely reinvented, showcasing a contemporary
food court design, modern artwork and staff focused on exceptional hospitality.
Main Street was complemented with a new culinary initiative, Fresh For
You, which features scratch-made and individually plated entrees and
desserts. The market was also supported with a new “Make It Right” advertising
campaign that features a personal guarantee from CEO Anthony Wedo who pledges
a commitment to providing quality food and service. The campaign has resulted
in a significant double-digit sales increase within the market.
“It’s
a new day for our company and our brands,” Wedo said. “It’s only fitting
that we celebrate our reinvention by adopting a new name that better represents
who we are now and who we will become in the future.”
About
Ovation® Brands
In
the Fall of 2013, Buffets, Inc., one of the nation’s largest restaurant
companies, marked its 30th anniversary. New executive leadership spearheaded
a reinvention of its structure and culture and subsequently renamed the
corporation Ovation® Brands. Ovation® Brands currently operates
342 restaurants in 35 states, comprised of 333 steak-buffet restaurants
and nine Tahoe Joe’s Famous Steakhouse restaurants. The restaurants are
principally operated under the Old Country Buffet®, HomeTown® Buffet
and Ryan’s® brands. Ovation employs approximately 18,000 team members
and serves approximately 100 million customers annually. Corporate headquarters
are based in Greer, SC with a Corporate Support Center located in Eagan,
MN. For more information, visit www.OvationBrands.com.
Media
Contacts:
Kim
Miller
866-252-1750,
x101
Kampi
Chaleunsouk
866-252-1750,
x102
Ink
Link Marketing
for
Ovation® Brands
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