DALLAS, June 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- For 15 years, Maggiano's Little Italy^® has partnered with Make-A-Wish^® to grant wishes for children with critical illnesses. Today, Maggiano's Teammates nationwide are excited to kick off the annual Eat-A-Dish for Make-A-Wish campaign, which has raised more than $8 million and granted more than 1,100 life-changing wishes.

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8246356-maggianos-eat-a-dish-for-make-a-wish/

Learn more about Maggiano's longstanding partnership and how you can get involved here – https://www.maggianos.com/make-a-wish-2018

How can Guests help grant wishes?

• Enjoy a chef-featured item between May 31 to Aug. 8and choose from dishes such as Shrimp & Calamari Siciliano, Zio's Shells & Sausage or Chicken Fontina in June and Pepperoni Fondue or Chicken & Truffle Tortellacci in July. For every select featured menu item ordered, $1 will be donated to Make-A-Wish and for every glass of Wish Lemonade ordered $0.50 will also be donated
• Order a carryout lasagna bundle between June 11 – June 22 or Meal for Two between July 22 – Aug. 8and $1 will be donated to Make-A-Wish
• Savor each bite of fluffy chef-featured pancakes during brunch or order the chef-featured dessert any time you visit Maggiano's and $1 will be donated to Make-A-Wish year-round. During the campaign, Guests can look forward to Mint Chocolate Chip and Banana Split pancakes
• Give $10, get $10. For every $10 and above donation, Guests will receive a Star Card with a special offer for $10 toward their next Maggiano's visit
• Get social by sharing a photo of your experience at Maggiano's on Twitter and/or Instagram using #EatADish4MAW

When Guests participate in the Eat-A-Dish for Make-A-Wish campaign, they are partnering with Maggiano's to grant wishes for kids like Meghna, a 15-year-old battling cancer. Meghna's wish is to travel to Italy to experience the Blue Grotto of Capri, the "water city" of Venice and the wonders of Rome.

"At Maggiano's, we want every Guest to feel special while dining with us and we are so thankful to have Guests who eagerly partner with us to make the wish kids feel special," said Larry Konecny, vice president and chief marketing officer of Maggiano's. "Year after year, I'm amazed by the Maggiano's Teammates who go above and beyond to host over-the-top wish parties and directly connect with the wish kids and their families in our restaurants across the nation. Let our favorite time of year begin!"

"Maggiano's has been deeply committed to helping children with critical illnesses for the past 15 years," said David Williams, president and chief executive officer for Make-A-Wish America. "We are grateful to partner and have the long-time support of Maggiano's, its Guests and Teammates. We are excited to continue the tradition and, together, help grant more wishes, one dish at a time."

The Maggiano's and Make-A-Wish partnership

Since 2003, Maggiano's and Make-A-Wish have teamed up to grant wishes to children with critical illnesses through the annual Eat-A-Dish for Make-A-Wish campaign. Over the past 15 years, Maggiano's has become one of the highest grossing national sponsors for Make-A-Wish. Maggiano's has raised more than $8 million and granted more than 1,100 wishes.

To learn more, visit https://www.maggianos.com/make-a-wish-2018

About Maggiano's Little Italy

Maggiano's Little Italy^® specializes in Italian-American cuisine served in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Maggiano's menu features both classic and contemporary recipes – authentic pastas, signature salads, prime steaks, fresh seafood, regular chef specials and specialty desserts. Maggiano's 52 restaurants nationwide offer lunch, dinner and brunch, delivery, carryout service and banquet spaces for special occasions. Maggiano's is owned and operated by Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT), one of the world's leading casual dining restaurant companies, serving more than one million guests daily. Brinker owns or franchises more than 1,600 restaurants in 32 countries and two territories. In addition to Maggiano's, Brinker owns and operates Chili's^® Grill & Bar.

Follow news about Maggiano's on Facebook (www.facebook.com/maggianos), Twitter (http://twitter.com/maggianos), Instagram (https://instagram.com/maggianoslittleitaly/), YouTube (www.youtube.com/maggianoslittleitaly) and Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/maggianos). For more information, please visit http://www.maggianos.com.

About Make-A-Wish

Make-A-Wish creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. We seek to bring every eligible child's wish to life because a wish is an integral part of a child's treatment journey. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight their illness. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the world's leading children's wish-granting organization, serving children in every community in the United States and in more than 50 countries worldwide. Together, generous donors, supporters, staff and more than 35,000 volunteers across the U.S., grant a wish every 34 minutes, on average, somewhere in the country. Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 300,000 wishes to children in the U.S. and its territories; more than 15,400 in 2017 alone. For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit wish.org.

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SOURCE Maggiano's Little Italy

Maggiano's Little Italy, Media Relations, media.requests@brinker.com, (800) 775-7290