COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 19, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Bob Evans Farms Inc. (Nasdaq:BOBE) has named six of the company's 579 restaurants as recipients of the 2007 Bob Evans Restaurant of the Year award. The company's highest honor was bestowed on the top-performing restaurant in each region. The winners of this year's award are Jacksonville, Fla.; Logansport, Ind.; Toledo, Ohio; Chillicothe, Ohio; Blue Springs, Mo.; and Smithfield, N.C.
Bob Evans Farms' Chief Executive Officer Steve Davis will visit each winning restaurant during two days -- July 23 and 24 -- to honor the employees and management teams for their accomplishments. The restaurant general managers will each receive 100 shares of Bob Evans stock and each employee will receive $100.
"We are proud to recognize the employees of this year's Restaurant of the Year winners, who truly exemplify our core values and share our passion and commitment to our mission," said Steve Davis, Chief Executive Officer. "The Restaurant of the Year award is unique because it is a total quality award -- looking beyond sales and focusing on the entire restaurant operation, from service to safety to profit."
The winning restaurants were selected based on three areas: Operations -- customer service, management development and employee turnover reduction; Sales -- this year vs. last year, sales per customer and customer count; and Profit -- this year vs. last year and safety record.
Bob Evans Farms, Inc. owns and operates full-service restaurants under the Bob Evans and Mimi's Cafe brand names. As of April 27, 2007, Bob Evans owned and operated 579 family restaurants in 18 states, primarily in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions of the United States, while Mimi's Cafe owned and operated 115 casual restaurants located in 20 states, primarily in California and other western states. Bob Evans Farms, Inc. is also a leading producer and distributor of pork sausage and a variety of complementary homestyle convenience food items under the Bob Evans and Owens brand names. For more information about Bob Evans Farms, Inc., visit the company's Web site at www.bobevans.com.
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