Brinker to host pirate-themed send-off party for Make-A-Wish Foundation(R) recipient

DALLAS, May 18, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT), parent company of Maggiano's Little Italy(R) will host a send-off party for a Make-A-Wish Foundation(R) recipient with its first Make-A-Wish Day Friday, May 21 at its Dallas headquarters.

Flying a jolly roger and donning eye patches, team members at the restaurant support center are shelling out their doubloon to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Anthony, who wishes to take a voyage to San Antonio and visit Sea World, Fiesta Texas and the San Antonio Zoo, will be surprised when Brinker team members announce his wish has been granted and confetti is launched through the air.

This event will help culminate Maggiano's Little Italy "Eat-A-Dish for Make-A-Wish" campaign, which has been raising support to grant wishes since April 15 in restaurants nationwide. The in-restaurant program runs through May 26 benefitting the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

"For the past seven years, Maggiano's has had the privilege of helping grant wishes for children through the kindness and dedication of our guests, restaurants, and teammates," said Steve Provost, President of Maggiano's Little Italy. "This new event, which will be held each May during our Eat-A-Dish for Make-A-Wish campaign, gives us an opportunity to come together, have fun and witness the power of sharing a wish."

Anthony's elaborate send-off party would not be possible without the Dallas Children's Theater, whose set designers will help transform the lawn in front of the Brinker headquarters into a pirate's playground of which Anthony will be the captain. Events such as this, along with the annual Eat-A-Dish for Make-A-Wish campaign, are examples of how Maggiano's continually supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation throughout the year.

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 45 locations worldwide offer lunch and dinner, 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, with more than 1,700 restaurants in 29 countries and two territories.

Other Brinker restaurant brands include Chili's(R) Grill & Bar and On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina(R). Brinker also holds a minority investment in Romano's Macaroni Grill(R). For more information, visit www.maggianos.com.

About the Make-A-Wish Foundation

The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Founded in 1980 when a group of caring volunteers helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, the Foundation is now the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 65 chapters in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and nearly 25,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants a wish every 40 minutes and has granted more than 188,000 wishes in the United States since its inception. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit wish.org and discover how you can share the power of a wish(R).

SOURCE Brinker International, Inc.; Maggiano's Little Italy