A look at what makes Red Robin soar
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., (Red Robin) has been the Gourmet Burger expert since 1969, when the first Red Robin restaurant opened in Seattle, Wash. Now, with more than 430 restaurants across the U.S. and Canada, we offer craveable, high-quality menu items for families and burger lovers alike. We serve a variety of innovative, signature Gourmet Burgers all made with fresh, Honest-to-Goodness® ingredients, and served with Bottomless Steak Fries®, which means free refills. Red Robin also serves entrees, salads, and signature Bottomless Beverages™. From our Royal Red Robin Burger, which includes a fried egg, to the California Chicken Burger, with a juicy charbroiled chicken breast, homemade guacamole and hickory-smoked bacon, our Guests are sure to find a burger to crave.
Red Robin was founded on four core values: Honor, Integrity, Continually Seeking Knowledge and Having Fun. These core values are at the foundation of every decision we make from creating our craveable Gourmet Burgers to hiring energetic Team Members, and even to choosing new restaurant locations. They also are the foundation for how we treat our Team Members, Guests and the communities we serve. These core values are even embroidered on the sleeve of every Team Member's uniform, serving as a constant reminder of what makes us unique and special.
Red Robin also has an unparalleled and extraordinary approach to Guest service known as Unbridled Acts. Unbridled Acts are random acts of kindness Team Members bestow upon restaurant Guests and other Team Members. Our core values and Unbridled atmosphere are at the heart of our energizing culture and nearly 34,000 Team Members across North America.
There are thousands of stories of Red Robin Team Members who live our values through these random acts of kindness on a daily basis. Each Unbridled Act, regardless of size, is a testament to our unique culture and the care we take for each and every Team Member and Guest.
Here is just one of the many stories of how Unbridled Acts differentiate Red Robin in the casual dining industry. To read more Unbridled Acts, please visit redrobin.com:
Spokane, Washington (Guest Comment) – My family eats at the Spokane restaurant a few times a week and we have done so for the last few years. We have come to know and love the managers, servers, hosts, bussers, cooks, etc. They are like our extended family. Recently we found out our 2-year-old daughter needed to have open heart surgery. When the news spread through the restaurant we were overwhelmed with the response of compassion and the offers to pray for our daughter. To my surprise, the day after her surgery I received a phone call from Bridget, the Assistant General Manager, asking about Sophia's surgery. A few days later, I received another phone call from her asking if it was okay for Sophia to have a special visit. I said sure and we set up a date and time. Two days later, the doorbell rang and there standing on my porch was Bridget, Manager Melissa and Red, the Red Robin mascot! They knew how much Sophia loved Red every time she saw him in the restaurant, so they thought Red would cheer her up. And, boy did he! What a great surprise. They also brought a nice letter signed by all the managers hoping that she have a speedy recovery. They also gave my family a thoughtful and generous collection of money that all of the Team Members put together. I cannot tell you how much this means to us.
RED ROBIN FACT SHEET
Ingredients of note
Founded:
1969 in Seattle, Washington
Headquarters:
6312 S. Fiddler's Green Circle, Suite 200 North
Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111
Concept
Casual dining restaurant chain that serves up fun, feel-good experiences by offering its Guests more than two dozen high-quality, fresh gourmet burgers in a variety of recipes as well as salads, sandwiches, entrees and soups in a family-friendly atmosphere.
Total Restaurants
As of January 1, 2010, there are more than 430 Red Robin® restaurant locations across the United States and Canada, which include both corporate-owned locations and those operating under franchise agreements.
Total Revenues:
For the year ending December 27, 2009, total company revenues, which include company-owned restaurant sales and franchise royalties and fees, decreased 3.2% to $841 million, and diluted earnings per share were $1.14 vs. $1.69 in diluted earnings per share last year
Leadership
Dennis B. Mullen, Chief Executive Officer
Eric C. Houseman, President and Chief Operating Officer
Todd A. Brighton, Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer
Katherine L. Scherping, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Annita M. Menogan, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer
Susan Lintonsmith, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
Team Members
Nearly 34,000 across North America
Company Mascot:
Red, the Red Robin
Burger Sampling:
The Royal Red Robin Burger® – This is the aristocrat of all Red Robin gourmet burgers because it's crowned with a fried egg. To finish it off, the burger is also topped with three strips of hickory-smoked bacon, American cheese, crisp lettuce, tomatoes and mayo.
The Banzai Burger® – Marinated in teriyaki sauce and topped with grilled pineapple, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and mayo.
Whiskey River® BBQ Chicken Burger – A tender, juicy charbroiled chicken breast basted with our signature Whiskey River® BBQ Sauce & topped with melted Cheddar cheese, crispy onion straws, tomatoes, lettuce and mayo.
*For press release information, please visit www.redrobin.com and click on the 'NEWS' link
RED ROBIN LINGO
A glossary of terms used by Red Robin Team Members and Guests
We have coined a few words and phrases to help explain what makes Red Robin so unique. After all, no Guest experience would be the same without a Gourmet Burger, made with Honest-to-Goodness® ingredients, that smiles, or a drink so special it has to be made by a Mixologist.
- Bottomless Steak Fries®: Our steak fries go so well with our Gourmet Burgers, Guests don't want to run out. So, at Red Robin, the fries are always made from the highest quality premium potatoes and are all-you-can-eat.
- Guest: Not interchangeable with customer. Guests are visitors to Red Robin who deserve high-quality food made with fresh ingredients, served by energetic Team Members in a fun environment.
- Gourmet Burger: A Red Robin Gourmet Burger must be made with fresh, high-quality Honest to Goodness® ingredients. We serve more than two dozen Gourmet Burgers that feature a variety of toppings such as grilled pineapple, guacamole, green chilies, honey mustard sauce, barbecue sauce, fried onion straws, and sautéed mushrooms. We serve beef, turkey, chicken, fish and veggie burgers.
- Honest-to-Goodness®: As a commitment to our Guests, Red Robin uses only fresh, high-quality ingredients and all menu items are made to order.
- Mixologist: With a bit of this, a dash of that and a burst of color, our trained bar staff are known as Mixologists. They create one-of-a-kind Masterful Mixology® and Bottomless Beverages™ from a signature Freckled Lemonade® with sweet strawberries and lemonade, to alcoholic beverages like a Nuclear Ice Tea and Sand In Your Shorts®.
- Red: Red Robin's fun-loving mascot. Red originated from a sketch on the wall at the original Red Robin in Seattle. Red appeals to Guests of all ages and embodies our belief that everyone should have fun.
- Smiling Burger®: Do Gourmet Burgers smile? At Red Robin they do. Team Members take special pride in presenting Guests with Gourmet Burgers that look as if they are smiling, which means all ingredients are visible.
- Team Member: Not to be confused with employee. Red Robin's philosophy of TEAM, meaning Together Everyone Achieves More, is fueled by pure energy. Every Red Robin Team Member is empowered to go the extra mile to provide not just good service, but Unbridled Guest service./li>
- Unbridled Acts: Unbridled Acts are random acts of kindness our Team Members bestow upon restaurant Guests and other Team Members. They are encouraged, shared and celebrated at every Red Robin® restaurant.
RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS 101
What makes our burgers gourmet?
What makes Red Robin's burgers gourmet? All Red Robin Gourmet Burgers are prepared with innovative, fresh, Honest-to-Goodness® ingredients like grilled pineapple, homemade guacamole, country Dijon sauce, BBQ sauce, fried onion straws, roasted red peppers, and even a fried egg. Many of our sauces, spreads, salad dressings and soups are even made in-house daily. We also offer seven different types of artisan buns and six varieties of cheese ranging from classic cheddar to crumbled bleu cheese or spicy pepper-jack.
Every burger on the menu is prepared using fresh, 100 percent grain-fed, USDA domestic ground beef that exceeds USDA standards and is free of preservatives and artificial ingredients. Not in the mood for beef? No problem. Red Robin also serves turkey patties, Gardenburger® or Boca® Burgers and sandwiches made with chicken or fish to satisfy every guest's palate. Our chicken is free of preservatives and artificial ingredients, too.
All of Red Robin's gourmet burgers are customizable to accommodate the taste, dietary needs and preferences of each Red Robin Guest. And all of our gourmet burgers can be enjoyed alongside Red Robin's signature Bottomless Steak Fries® and selection of Bottomless Beverages™.
RED ROBIN IN THE COMMUNITY
How Red Robin makes a difference in the communities we serve
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children®: Through our continued support of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), Red Robin promotes programs designed to keep kids in our communities safer. As a result of our efforts to raise awareness and support for NCMEC, Red Robin has generated more than $290,000 in contributions to the organization's programs to promote child safety and help in the recovery of missing children. Red Robin supports NCMEC in the following ways year after year:
- New Restaurant Openings: During grand opening week of every new company-owned Red Robin restaurant, 50 cents from each gourmet burger sold is donated to NCMEC. Child ID kits are also distributed to families.
- Kids' Cook-Off: The annual Kids' Cook-Off invites kids to submit their own gourmet burger creation to Red Robin. The grand-prize winning gourmet burger is sold in all U.S. Red Robin restaurants and 50 cents from each winning gourmet burger sold benefits NCMEC. In 2009, we donated more than $67,000 to NCMEC from the Kids' Cook-Off burger sales.
- Kids' Cook-Off Cookbook: Each year, the top 50 kid-created gourmet burger recipes from the Kids' Cook-Off are compiled and put into the Kids' Cook-Off Cookbook along with child safety tips from NCMEC. The cookbook is available at redrobin.com/kids for free download.
- Child ID Kit Program: The Red Robin Child ID Kit Program provides free child ID kits to parents while helping to raise funds for NCMEC.
Neighborhood Programs for Schools, Community and Businesses: Red Robin restaurants across the country support their communities in a variety of ways including in-restaurant school fundraisers, Reading with Red, Star Patient Awards and partner cards to name a few. Please contact the General Manager of your local Red Robin to find out more.
Sponsorships & Donations: Red Robin offers support to organizations who promote the health, welfare and education of kids and families in the communities we serve and who share our core values, Honesty, Integrity, Continuously Seeking Knowledge and Having Fun. To learn more about our giving guidelines, please visit redrobin.com.
The Red Robin Foundation: Our Red Robin Team Members live and work in the communities where our restaurants are located, and their success and well-being are important to us. So when one of our Team Members experiences an unexpected hardship, the Red Robin Foundation is there to help through its Giving Fund. The Giving Fund has provided more than half a million dollars in emergency assistance to over 4,000 Red Robin Team Members. In addition to emergency aid, the Foundation awards scholarship grants to Team Members who wish to further their education. For more information or to make a donation visit redrobin.com/rrfoundation.
The Red Robin Foundation U-ACT® Program: U-ACT, which stands for Unbridled Acts or random acts of kindness, challenges middle and junior high school students to be kind to each other through in-school programs and volunteer activities that create caring communities. Participating schools are eligible for grant awards ranging from $1,200 to $15,000. Since the program was launched in 2005, more than 200 schools have participated by developing programs to promote kindness and volunteerism, and Red Robin has awarded nearly $120,000 in grants to 22 schools in the U.S. To learn more about U-ACT and how your school can participate, visit redrobin.com/rrfoundation.
RED ROBIN MILESTONES
Building upon a distinguished past
1940s: Red Robin started as 'Sam's Tavern' near the University of Washington in the 1940's. Sam sang in a barber shop quartet and loved to sing the song "When the red, red robin goes bob, bob, bobbin along…" Sam enjoyed the song so much he eventually changed the name of his tavern to Sam's Red Robin.
1969: Over the years, Sam's Red Robin simply became Red Robin. The restaurant was transformed from the tavern into the first Red Robin® restaurant. The restaurant was in a 1,200 square-foot building perched on a Seattle hilltop.
1973: Red Robin expands the menu from jumbo beers, cellophane-wrapped sandwiches and popcorn to include Red Robin's most popular burgers – the Red Robin Gourmet Cheeseburger, the Red Robin Bacon Cheeseburger and the Royal Red Robin Burger™, which is crowned with a fresh fried egg.
1979: Red Robin regulars, Mike and Steve Snyder, decide to open their own Red Robin in Yakima, Wash. The Snyder Group Company becomes Red Robin's first franchisee.
1980: On course to becoming "America's Gourmet Burgers & Spirits," Red Robin expands beyond Washington by opening a restaurant in Portland, Ore.
1983: Red Robin hatches one of America's only restaurant mascots, a colorful robin named "Red." Families everywhere become overnight fans.
1985: A domestic success, Red Robin crosses the U.S. border and opens a Canadian Red Robin® restaurant in Burnaby, British Columbia.
1985: Skylark, a food-service operation in Japan, acquires a majority interest in Red Robin from Red Robin's owner.
1994: Already known as a place for great family fun, Red Robin reinforces its reputation as a restaurant industry leader by offering Bottomless Steak Fries® (a.k.a. free refills) with its Gourmet Burgers and Sandwiches.
1996: Red Robin International cuts its ties with Skylark and is brought back home from Tokyo. The headquarters are moved from Irvine, Calif., to Greenwood Village, Colo.
2000: Red Robin merges with the Snyder Group, its largest franchisee, and celebrates the opening of its 150th restaurant in May. Securing $75 million in financing, Red Robin continues its nationwide expansion efforts.
2002: On July 19, Red Robin goes public with an initial public offering of 5,038,000 shares, of which 4,000,000 shares were sold, at a price to the public of $12.00 per share. The remaining 1,038,000 shares were offered by selling stockholders. Red Robin received net proceeds of $42.8 million from the offering. Red Robin also entered into a three-year, $40.0 million revolving credit agreement to fund construction and acquisition of new restaurants, to refinance existing indebtedness and for general corporate purposes, including working capital.
2003: Red Robin receives the Dealmakers Award in the Retail and Restaurant category presented by the Denver Business Journal. Red Robin was selected to receive the award for its successful IPO in July 2002, continued growth and increased revenue.
In November 2003, Red Robin completed a secondary offering of 3,458,673 shares of common stock, of which it sold 750,000 shares, at a price of $26.50 per share. The remaining 2,708,673 shares were offered by selling stockholders. The company received proceeds of $18.0 million from the offering, net of $1 million of underwriting fees and commissions and $868,200 of other offering costs. In December 2003, the company's underwriters exercised their over-allotment option with respect to 518,801 additional shares offered by selling stockholders. The company received no proceeds from the over-allotment exercise.
2004: Red Robin continues its growth with the opening of its 250th restaurant. At the 2004 MUFSO Conference, Nation's Restaurant News and Coca-Cola® present Red Robin with the People and Performance Award (PAPA) for its outstanding employee recognition programs.
In August 2004, Red Robin completed a secondary offering of 1,937,543 shares of common stock, all of which were held by selling stockholders, at a price of $32.36 per share. The company did not receive any proceeds from this offering. Fees related to this offering, which were borne by the company, totaled $200,400 and were recorded in general and administrative expenses.
2005: Red Robin is honored with Restaurant Hospitality's Chain of the Year award and receives Restaurants & Institutions' Choice in Chains Crystal Award in the Burger category.
The company celebrates the third anniversary of its initial public offering by opening the NASDAQ stock market in New York City on July 19, and demonstrates its Unbridled culture by hosting a Freckled Lemonade® stand in Times Square, which included distributing its signature Bottomless Beverage™ and Metro subway cards to tourists for free.
2006: Red Robin's senior vice president and chief financial officer, Katie Scherping, is the recipient of an Outstanding Women in Business Award presented by the National Association of Women Business Owners and the Denver Business Journal. The company is a national finalist for the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Neighbor Award and a finalist for ColoradoBiz magazine's Top Company of the Year Award.
Red Robin held the inaugural "The Next Gourmet Burger Kids Contest" where kids ages 10 and under were asked to submit an original burger creation and a 100-word statement on why their burger deserved to be America's next Gourmet Burger. More than 16,000 entries were accepted at Red Robin® restaurants nationwide. Nine-year-old Adrianna Montgomery from Raleigh, N.C., wins the contest at the chain's annual Leadership Summit with her Spicy Asian Burger. Her burger was sold in every U.S. Red Robin® restaurant during the summer of 2007. In addition, more than 50 recipes were selected to be included in a kids' cookbook sold to benefit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), a non-profit organization whose mission is to help prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation; help find missing children; and assist victims of child abduction and sexual exploitation, their families, and the professionals who serve them.
2007: Red Robin's president and chief operating officer, Eric Houseman, is the recipient of the Forty under 40 Award presented by the Denver Business Journal. The company is honored with Restaurants & Institutions' Choice in Chains Gold Award in the Burger category and is selected as a winner of Nation's Restaurant News' Excellence in Advertising on Television (EAT) Award.
Eleven-year-old Joey Yarwick's "Au Brie Burger a la Francais" is selected as the winning recipe at Red Robin's second annual "The Next Gourmet Burger Kids' Recipe Contest" during a Championship event held in Denver, Colo.
2008: Red Robin's chief financial officer, Katie Scherping, is the recipient of the CFO of the Year Award in the medium-sized public company category presented by the Denver Business Journal.
Milford Junior High School in Milford, Ohio, receives $20,000 and is named the 2007-2008 Red Robin U-ACT™ Champion School for their efforts to promote kindness among students during the 2007-2008 school year. In addition to the U-ACT™ Champion School, Red Robin also selected two Award of Excellence schools and seven Award of Merit schools.
Red Robin celebrates the opening of its 400th restaurant on June 16 in Covington, Wash.
Red Robin is named one of Parents Magazine's 10 Best Family Restaurants.
Seven-year-old, Rathdrum, Idaho resident Charlie Beckett's "Holy-Peño Burger" is selected as the grand prize winning burger at Red Robin's third annual "The Next Gourmet Burger Kids' Recipe Contest" during a Championship event held in Denver, Colo.
2009: The 2008-2009 U-ACT® Champion Award is given to Word of God Catholic School in Pittsburgh, Pa. in recognition for their Unbridled Acts. As the Champion School, they received a $20,000 grant and a school spirit night at their local Red Robin. In addition to the U-ACT® Champion School, Red Robin also selected two Award of Excellence schools and seven Award of Merit schools.
Red Robin is named the Best Burger in the Full-Service Category of the national Zagat Fast-Food Survey. The winners of the survey were selected based on the responses of 6,107 consumers who participated in the survey, which charted 103 chains nationwide.
Restaurants & Institutions magazine names Red Robin a Gold Award winner for the 2009 Consumers' Choice in Chains Award in the Burgers category. The award is based on 3,000 consumer votes from a national survey that R&I conducted to evaluate nearly 120 chain restaurants on customer satisfaction measures.
The National Restaurant Association named the U-ACT Program the Colorado state winner of the "Restaurant Neighbor Award" in the large business category.
Nine-year-old Emma Potts' "Spicy Honey Glazed Bacon Burger" is selected as the grand prize-winning recipe at Red Robin's fourth annual "Kids' Cook-Off" during a Championship event held in Denver, Colo.
AWARDS & HONORS
Outstanding achievements and marks of success
Zagat Fast Food Survey (2009)
Red Robin is named the Best Burger in the Full-Service Category of the national Zagat Fast-Food Survey. The winners of the survey were selected based on the responses of 6,107 consumers who participated in the survey, which charted 103 chains nationwide.
Choice in Chains Gold Award (2009)
Red Robin is honored with Restaurants & Institutions' Choice in Chains Gold Award in the Burger category. Winners are chosen based on the results of a national consumer research survey of U.S. households in the areas of food quality, menu variety, value, service, atmosphere, cleanliness and convenience.
Restaurant Neighbor Award (2009)
The National Restaurant Association recognized Red Robin's U-ACT Champion Program as a state winner and national finalist of its Restaurant Neighbor Award in the large business category. Red Robin was honored for its commitment to its local communities for bringing Unbridled Acts into middle and junior high schools.
PRSA Colorado Gold Pick Award (2009)
Red Robin's "The Next Gourmet Burger Kids' Recipe Contest" is selected as a Gold Pick winner of PRSA Colorado's award ceremony that celebrates a year of well-executed PR campaigns and components by Colorado professionals.
CFO of the Year (2008)
Red Robin's chief financial officer, Katie Scherping, is the recipient of the CFO of the Year Award in the medium-sized public company category presented by the Denver Business Journal. The Award recognizes eight CFOs from metro Denver public, private and non-profit companies for the work they've done for their organization and their communities.
Excellence in Advertising on Television (EAT) Award (2007)
Red Robin is selected as a winner of Nation's Restaurant News' Excellence in Advertising on Television (EAT) Award, which recognizes advertising excellence in television. Red Robin received the award in the "Best Television Commercial Campaign Over $500 Million" category, based on total system-wide sales.
PRSA Colorado Gold Pick Award (2007)
Red Robin's "The Next Gourmet Burger Kids' Recipe Contest" is selected as a Gold Pick winner of PRSA Colorado's award ceremony that celebrates a year of well-executed PR campaigns and components by Colorado professionals during the past year.
Choice in Chains Gold Award (2007)
Red Robin is honored with Restaurants & Institutions' Choice in Chains Gold Award in the Burger category. Winners are chosen based on the results of a national consumer research survey of U.S. households in the areas of food quality, menu variety, value, service, atmosphere, cleanliness and convenience.
Forty under 40 (2007)
Red Robin's president and chief operating officer, Eric Houseman, is the recipient of the Forty under 40 Award presented by the Denver Business Journal. The award recognizes Denver's young, dynamic, up-and-coming business leaders under 40 for their business success and community contributions.
Outstanding Women in Business (2006)
Red Robin's chief financial officer, Katie Scherping, is the recipient of the Outstanding Women in Business Jean Yancey Award in the large business category presented by the National Association of Women Business Owners and the Denver Business Journal. The Award recognizes women who are leaders in their industry and in the community.
Top Company of the Year (2006)
ColoradoBiz magazine has named Red Robin a Top Company of the Year finalist in the retail category. Companies selected must demonstrate strong financial performance, innovation in their industry and community commitment.
Restaurant Neighbor Award (2006)
The National Restaurant Association has recognized Red Robin as a state winner and national finalist of its Restaurant Neighbor Award. Red Robin was honored for its commitment to its local communities, specifically its support of National Fire Prevention Week in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Choice in Chains Gold Award (2006)
Red Robin is honored with Restaurants & Institutions' Choice in Chains Gold Award in the Burger category. Winners are chosen based on the results of a national consumer research survey of U.S. households in the areas of food quality, menu variety, value, service, atmosphere, cleanliness and convenience.
Web Marketing Association's Internet Advertising Competition (2006)
The Web Marketing Association awarded Red Robin with the Outstanding Achievement in Internet Advertising for the Red Robin Burgerizer™, which allows guests to customize any Red Robin burger. The annual awards program, now in its seventh year, is produced annually by the Web Marketing Association and has become the premier event for web developers and marketers.
Rocky Mountain News' Colorado 50 (2006)
The Rocky Mountain News named Red Robin one of its Colorado 50, which recognizes the biggest and best public companies in Colorado. The award takes into account companies' revenues, market, capitalization, number of employees, net income, and one-year growth in earnings per share for 2005.
Chain of the Year (2005)
Restaurant Hospitality awards Red Robin with its Chain of the Year distinction for its impressive stock performance, same store sales growth and restaurant expansion.
Top 100 Growth Stock Companies (2005)
Business Week names Red Robin on the "Special Report – Hot Growth: Top 100 Growth Stock Companies." Article mentions companies were included on the list because of talent, teamwork and creativity.
Top 200 Franchise Systems (2005)
Franchise Times names Red Robin on the list of Top 200 Franchise Systems based on worldwide sales.
Choice in Chains Crystal Award (2005)
Red Robin is honored with Restaurants & Institutions' Choice in Chains Crystal Award in the Burger category. Winners are chosen based on the results of a national consumer research survey of U.S. households in the areas of food quality, menu variety, value, service, atmosphere, cleanliness and convenience.
People and Performance Award (2004)
Nation's Restaurant News and Coca-Cola® presented Red Robin with the People and Performance (PAPA) award honoring excellence in Employee Recognition at the annual MUFSO Conference.
Restaurant Neighbor Award (2004)
The Colorado Restaurant Association honored Red Robin with a Restaurant Neighbor Award in its large business category for the state of Colorado. Red Robin was honored for its outstanding work in the communities it serves, specifically focusing on "Burgers with a Heart" in Spokane, Wash.