Budda-boom, Budda-bing: East Side Mario's Returns to its Roots

Popular Campaign, Classic Recipes, Focus on Value and Fun All Back as East Side Mario's Recommits To Families

Mississauga, ON – April 9, 2010 – East Side Mario's today unveiled a rejuvenated Budda-Boom, Budda-Bing campaign and a renewed positioning designed to reclaim the 100 restaurant chain's leadership position in casual dining. Starting today, family, fun, and value are back at East Side Mario's. Inside, guests can expect a great new menu full of value and variety, a fun dining experience and improved service levels. Outside, the change will be communicated with a $2.5 million dollar campaign that includes new TV and radio ads, on-line advertising, direct mail and a redesigned website.

"Focusing on family, fun, value and quality has enabled East Side Mario's to be a leader in casual dining for over 20 years. Today, we are recommitting ourselves to those principles," says John Verdon, Vice President, Marketing, East Side Mario's.

Visitors to East Side Mario's will see that the menu has undergone a major overhaul. In addition to a great selection of Signature pastas and pizzas, guests can now choose from a variety of new dishes including ribs, steak and shrimp, rotisserie chicken and ribs, wings and nachos. Also new is Mario's Everyday Values which showcases the best values in the menu all on one page. What hasn't changed is that All-You-Can-Eat Soup or Salad and Garlic Homeloaf is included with every adult entrée.

The recommitment to family and fun also includes a best-in-the-business kids program. Kids Eat Free days; activity books; Mario's Famous Mini Ice Cream Cones; the birthday wheel, songs and cake; an improved toy chest; a great selection of kids meals and amazing kids drinks help to make East Side Mario's the place to take the family.

The Budda-Boom, Budda-Bing campaign returns to the airwaves today with TV, radio and online advertising. The TV ad will be featured prominently in both CBC's and TSN's coverage of the Stanley Cup playoffs as well as on appointment programming such as American Idol, Dancing With The Stars, Survivor, 30 Rock and House. All creative was developed by Endeavour Marketing of Toronto, media planning and buying by Ron Christie Communications and public relations by Cowan & Company.

About East Side Mario's
East Side Mario's, a Prime Restaurants Inc. brand, has been providing guests with a fun "Taste of Little Italy" experience since 1988. With 100 locations across Canada serving approximately 280,000 guests each week, the East Side Mario's brand is well recognized as the place to bring the family or friends for value, fun and quality. For more information, visit eastsidemarios.com.

###

Media Contact:
For more information, or to schedule an interview with an East Side Mario’s spokesperson, please contact
Katherine Clark, Cowan & Company,
katherine.clark@cowanandcompany.net