O'Charley's Revitalization Looks to History to Inspire Its Future

A Fresh Advertising Campaign, New Look and "Free Pie" Aim to Reconnect O'Charley's With Its American Heritage While Moving the Classic Restaurant Forward


NASHVILLE, TN--(Marketwired - Jun 26, 2013) - O'Charley's has begun airing television advertisements across its footprint featuring a new spokes-patron and slogan that pay homage to the classic restaurant's heritage as "An American O'riginal" since 1972. It is the latest component in the continued revitalization of O'Charley's which has brought the brand back to its roots in order to take it into the future.

"We have a genuine enthusiasm and passion for service and food and we want that to come across clearly in everything O'Charley's does," said Hazem Ouf, president and chief executive officer of American Blue Ribbon Holdings, who sparked O'Charley's revitalization after acquiring the Nashville-based restaurant in the spring of 2012. "We've drawn from O'Charley's robust history as a quintessential American Restaurant with Southern roots to set the stage for a new O'Charley's that wears its passion to serve and passion for food on its sleeve."

Up next for O'Charley's is a new advertising campaign, developed by Doner in Detroit, set to reinforce that passion and further reconnect O'Charley's with its American heritage while tapping into heightened appreciation in society for American ideals and American made products. The result is a fresh take on restaurant television advertising that introduces both a new slogan, "An American O'riginal," and a new spokes-patron -- Brock Roland. Brock shares the same "passion for food" that O'Charley's does and is unwilling to make any sacrifices in pursuit of what he wants.

"In an effort to re-establish an identity for O'Charley's, we felt that it was important to tap into the strong heritage of the brand and demonstrate how they share the renewed connection to American values," said David DeMuth, co-CEO, president, Doner. "O'Charley's is all about authentic hand-crafted American food that brings people together, this repositioning helps to showcase that."

This fresh advertising approach goes hand-in-hand with the reimagined O'Charley's restaurant concept that was first introduced in late 2012 shortly after O'Charley's acquisition by American Blue Ribbon Holdings. The new concept, which continues to be unveiled across the country, reinforces O'Charley's status as a member of the communities it serves by featuring more expansive, open and inviting floor plans, updated and brightened interiors and exteriors, as well as a new clearer and more noticeable brand mark.

Along with the new restaurant concept came a new menu which focused on American classic entrees and Southern favorites and introduced award-winning signature pies such as Double-Crust Peach, Southern Pecan, French Silk, Country Apple and Ooey Gooey Caramel. The popularity of these pies lead to the development of a mid-week reward for guests dubbed "Free Pie Wednesday."

"The program is as it sounds, with the purchase of an entrée on Wednesday, O'Charley's guests are entitled to a free slice of their pie of choice. This showcase of gratitude is a continuation of the American ideals O'Charley's has looked to for inspiration while moving the brand forward," added Ouf.

For more information on O'Charley's, visit www.ocharleys.com or visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ocharleysfans.

About O'Charley's
O'Charley's, headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., includes 213 restaurants in 17 states in the Southeast and Midwest, including 207 company-owned and operated O'Charley's restaurants and six restaurants operated by franchises and joint venture partners.

About American Blue Ribbon Holdings
American Blue Ribbon Holdings (ABRH) is a diversified restaurant company that operates or franchises more than 690 company and franchise restaurants in 43 states. ABRH brands include O'Charley's, Ninety Nine, Max & Erma's, Village Inn, Bakers Square and Legendary Baking. ABRH is a majority-owned subsidiary of Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE: FNF). For more information on American Blue Ribbon Holdings, please visit http://www.abrholdings.com/.

About Doner
Based in Detroit, Doner is a member of the MDC Partners network and serves clients including ADT, AutoTrader.com, Choice Hotels International, Chrysler Group LLC, The Coca-Cola Company, Cox Communications, DuPont, Harman, Serta, Sherwin-Williams, Smithfield and The UPS Store. With over $1 billion in billings, Doner has built on its strong creative legacy to create a modern, integrated creative network with offices in Detroit, Atlanta, Cleveland, London and Los Angeles. As a full-service, performance-driven agency, Doner focuses on creating ideas that change the destiny of brands through creativity.

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Justin Wilson
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