COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 18, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bob Evans Restaurants is once again offering the Farmhouse Feast -- a fully cooked, heat-and-serve homestyle meal that feeds six to eight people -- this holiday season. Every holiday, thousands of families visit Bob Evans for pies, side dishes and bread, and in 2007 more than 100,000 of those items were purchased to supplement holiday meals. Last year thousands of families enjoyed the Farmhouse Feast for Thanksgiving. This year, the classic holiday meal served with all the fixings is also available for Christmas and all throughout the holiday season for the same great price of $74.99. Bob Evans Restaurants are taking orders now.
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The Farmhouse Feast includes Bob Evans' signature slow-roasted boneless turkey breast, bread & celery dressing, mashed potatoes with gravy, buttered sweet corn, green beans with ham, cranberry orange relish, rolls, a loaf of pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie with whipped topping.
According to a recent survey conducted by Information Resources Inc., and reported in AdAge, 94 percent of consumers say that spending time with family this holiday season is even more important this year than last year. "That is one reason why we are excited about offering the Farmhouse Feast for the entire holiday season," said Mary Cusick, senior vice president of marketing for Bob Evans Restaurants. "No need to spend hours of shopping and cooking with this meal -- an hour and a half of heating is all it takes to have a fresh, hot meal with Bob Evans' homestyle favorites. And if someone wants to make their own unique holiday dish to accompany the Feast, they will now have the time!"
Because the Farmhouse Feast is available all holiday season, customers can enjoy Bob Evans best-selling carryout dinner for all occasions -- book clubs, school groups, employee parties and senior centers -- at less than $10 a person.
Bob Evans believes that the competitive price of $74.99 will please both new and returning Farmhouse Feast customers. "We are very happy to be able to keep our $74.99 price point from last year," said Cusick. "With the cost of food and so many other everyday needs on the rise, it's a privilege to be able to offer this family meal at a great value to our consumers. Not to mention the time savings -- making the Farmhouse Feast a value on every level!"
To find out just how much of a value and convenience the Farmhouse Feast is, the Bob Evans chefs shopped for and prepared a comparable meal. The result: Doing it all yourself would take about one hour of shopping, five hours of preparation and cooking and would cost more than $80. Customers who used the Farmhouse Feast last year loved the value and convenience of the Bob Evans Farmhouse Feast, saying that it "made for the most stress-free Thanksgiving," "allowed more free time with family," and that it was "a great quality for the price; would definitely purchase again."
To promote the Farmhouse Feast and engage consumers, Bob Evans has launched www.FarmhouseFeast.com, a micro Web site where visitors can read testimonials from Farmhouse Feast customers, download heating instructions, and read and share funny holiday stories. Customers also have a chance to win a free Farmhouse Feast through radio promotions in select cities. Participating radio stations are found on the microsite.
For Thanksgiving, customers can call or visit their local Bob Evans Restaurant to place an order and can pick up their feast, the day before Thanksgiving, on November 26. The Farmhouse Feast is also available for Christmas and anytime during December for holiday entertaining. The meals are fresh and made-to-order, but quantities are limited, so early ordering is highly recommended.
Bob Evans Farms, Inc. owns and operates full-service restaurants under the Bob Evans and Mimi's Cafe brand names. At the end of the second fiscal quarter (October 24, 2008), Bob Evans owned and operated 570 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 139 casual restaurants located in 22 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.
The photo is also available via AP PhotoExpress.
