September 14, 2009
Contact: Annika Stensson (202) 973-3677, Maureen Ryan (202) 331-5939

(Washington, D.C.) The National Restaurant Association today announced BJ’s Restaurants, headquartered in Huntington Beach, Calif., with locations nationwide, has been named this year's Restaurant Neighbor Award winner in the large business category. BJ’s was presented the award and a $5,000 donation to its Foundation during an award ceremony in Washington, D.C. The award celebrates the philanthropic spirit of the restaurant industry and serves to inspire others to actively get involved in their communities. American Express is the founding partner of the Restaurant Neighbor Award.

“We are proud to honor these exceptional restaurants and community leaders for their dedicated commitment to enhancing the quality of life for everyone in their communities,” said National Restaurant Association President and CEO Dawn Sweeney. “Our industry has a strong foundation and long history of philanthropy, and works to make a difference in local communities across the nation. This year’s Restaurant Neighbor Award winners were selected for their innovative approaches and enormous efforts.”

“BJ’s is one of several dedicated restaurant companies that call California home, and we are excited that they were awarded the National Restaurant Association’s 2009 Restaurant Neighbor Award,” said Jot Condie, President and CEO of the California Restaurant Association. “BJ’s really does a great job of supporting its community and they are very deserving of this recognition.”

BJ’s Restaurants team members increasingly are on the lookout for ways to help their communities. When one of the Huntington Beach, Calif.-based company’s 90 restaurants finds a philanthropic activity to support, its staff goes into TASC Force mode, or Team Action to Support Communities.

Restaurants in the San Diego region joined forces last December to cheer athletes in the Southern California Special Olympics Floor Hockey tournament. The Greenwood, Ind., team built a playground with 40 volunteers for KaBoom!, a national playground-building organization. Employees from the Oxmoor restaurant in Louisville, Ky., participated in a Memorial Day vigil, in which they placed 500 flags on veterans’ graves.

BJ’s Restaurants Foundation provides caps or t-shirts to restaurant employees for their local projects, and the foundation often contributes financial help to the local charities. In addition to the TASC force projects, BJ’s supports of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and has raised more than $5 million in ten years. Stories and photos of more than 70 events are posted at www.bjsrestaurants.com/tascforce.

“American Express is proud to partner with the National Restaurant Association to honor restaurants across the country for the invaluable contributions they make to their communities,” said Curtis L. Wilson, Vice President and General Manager, Restaurant Industries Group, American Express. “The impact restaurateurs have in their communities through charitable activities and relief projects is tremendous, and we hope their actions inspire others to do the same.”

The National Restaurant Association and founding partner American Express developed the Restaurant Neighbor Award to raise awareness about the restaurant industry’s contributions in local communities across the country and to inspire other restaurant operators and owners to make even greater contributions in their communities.

The Restaurant Neighbor Award honors charitable contributions in four categories (small business, mid-size business, large business/national chain, and Cornerstone Humanitarian). Each participating state restaurant association selects winners in their respective states that compete with winners from other states for the national award.

Joining BJ’s Restaurants in receiving the 2009 Restaurant Neighbor Award are: Rod’s Steak & Seafood Grille in Morristown, N.J., in the mid-size business category; Madam’s Organ in Washington, D.C., in the small business category; and Alex Ray of Common Man Family of Restaurants in Ashland, N.H., in the Cornerstone Humanitarian category.

For more information on the award program, as well as more information on national winners and state finalists, visit the National Restaurant Association’s Web site, www.restaurant.org/community.