MARIETTA, Ga., May 21, 2004 - Buffalo's Franchise Concepts Inc. (BFCI), franchisor of the popular southwestern-inspired Buffalo's Southwest Cafe, has helped its metro-Atlanta franchise business partners form a new business and market co-operative for the metro-Atlanta market.

With approximately 45 restaurants located primarily throughout the Southeast and Midwest, BFCI's largest concentration of restaurants is in metro Atlanta, with a total of 25 units and at least one more expected to open by the end of 2004.  With eight company-owned restaurants and 17 franchise-owned restaurants in this market, Atlanta franchise business partners and the corporate headquarters decided that a co-op would enable the 25 restaurants to act as one business unit and generate greater efficiencies, especially in marketing. 

"As our company has grown over the past 17 years, we have built more than half our restaurants in Atlanta.  Forming the co-op was a natural step, allowing us to strengthen our presence," said Ralph Perrella, BFCI president and co-founder.  Perrella said he expects co-ops to form in additional markets as the concept expands. 

Through the new Atlanta co-op, restaurants will pool advertising funds and double their marketing impact, including presence on television, radio and outdoor.  A new campaign for the menu promotion "Sundance Specials" started this month.  The co-op will also decide what promotions and menu specials will be featured in Atlanta.

"Instead of acting as a group of independent operators we wanted to become one voice in this market," said Mike Johnson, newly named president of the Atlanta co-op and owner of five Buffalo's restaurants.

The co-op's board of directors includes Atlanta franchise business partners and a representative from the corporate headquarters.  The 2004 officers are:

§         President: Mike Johnson

§         Secretary and 2005 President-Elect: Paul Dalrymple

§         Treasurer: Brett Summers

Based in Marietta, Ga., Buffalo's Franchise Concepts was founded in 1985 and has restaurants in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Puerto Rico and Kuwait.  The company has new units slated for construction in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Texas.

Award-winning Buffalo's Southwest Cafe restaurants offers its world-famous Buffalo-style chicken wings with a variety of flavors for every taste in addition to southwestern-inspired entrees and appetizers.  The menu features a variety of specialty dishes as well as mouthwatering steaks, ribs, fajitas, chili, quesadillas, wraps, hamburgers, soups, salads, sandwiches and desserts.  Each restaurant tells a story of the Old Southwest while providing a unique dining experience.  Restaurants feature wooden floors and distressed metal ceilings, western memorabilia and hundreds of period photographs lining rustic wooden walls.  High-back cushioned booths for primary seating are each designed with their own themes such as gunslingers, outlaw posters, Indians, lawmen and railroads. 

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