BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. Offers EnLIGHTened Menu with Something for Everyone in the New Year

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., Jan. 11, 2018 -- BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ:BJRI), a first-mover with its BJ’s EnLIGHTened Entrees® menu, continues to redefine the category to include more nutrient-rich superfoods, vegetarian and gluten-free options. The mission: to ensure the EnLIGHTened menu offers something for everyone.

“At a time when the casual dining industry is standing for pasta, burgers and ribs, we wanted to stand for something more conscientious,” said Scott Rodriguez, Senior Vice President of Culinary and Kitchen Innovation at BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. “With our EnLIGHTened menu, our focus is on making ‘better-for-you’ taste ‘better–than-imagined’.”

Following up on the success of last year’s exceptionally cute Honest Critics online video series, BJ’s has once again turned to Generation Z to test the EnLIGHTened mission – this time with a “super” twist.

BJ’s worked with DDB San Francisco to evolve the tasting panel for 2018. Four “Hungry Heroes” were invited to try five EnLIGHTened dishes and give their candid feedback on how the better-for-you nutritious ingredients amplify their super powers.

“There’s nothing more honest than a 5-year-old, especially when they are embodying their ultimate super hero,” added Kevin Mayer, EVP, Chief Marketing Officer of BJ's Restaurants, Inc. “If our EnLIGHTened menu is loved by the pickiest of eaters, we know that our BJ’s fans, and those who aren’t yet fans, will love it too.”

“Our EnLIGHTened menu is an example of the careful consideration we put into making our expansive menu. There’s a common misnomer that “curated” means limited, said Greg Trojan, CEO of BJ's Restaurants, Inc. “We believe it means selective, especially with the ingredients we put into making delicious dishes that are better for you.”

The BJ’s EnLIGHTened Entrees® menu includes whole foods and superfoods that are dense in nutrients and loaded with vegetables and grains. Initially introduced in May 2011, the EnLIGHTened menu continues to grow in breadth and popularity. BJ’s offers nearly 20 BJ’s EnLIGHTened Entrees® along with BJ’s EnLIGHTened Cocktails® that have fewer than 140 calories. The proprietary BJ’s LightSwitch® Lager—a gold medalist at the highly renowned Great American Beer Festival—is just 100 calories per 12-ounce serving.

With these better-for-you offerings and more flavorful choices, guests can keep their New Year’s resolutions while enjoying the BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse® signature quality.

About BJ’s Restaurants, Inc.

BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. currently owns and operates 197 casual dining restaurants under the BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse®, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery®, BJ’s Pizza & Grill® and BJ’s Grill® brand names. BJ’s Restaurants offer an innovative and broad menu featuring award-winning, signature deep dish pizza complemented with generously portioned salads, appetizers, sandwiches, soups, pastas, entrees and desserts, including the Pizookie® dessert. Quality, flavor, value, moderate prices and sincere service remain distinct attributes of the BJ’s experience. All restaurants feature BJ’s critically acclaimed proprietary craft beers, which are produced at several of the Company’s Restaurant & Brewery locations, its two brewpubs in Texas and by independent third party craft brewers. 

The Company’s restaurants are located in the 26 states of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington. Visit BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. on the Web at http://www.bjsrestaurants.com for locations and additional information.

Media Contacts:

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse
Lauren Collins, 714-500-2451
[email protected]

A video accompanying this announcement is available at 
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/883f4db3-1fa3-46bc-be77-fbea6c2adecb