CHICAGO, Oct. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Morton's Restaurant Group, Inc. (NYSE: MRT) today announced plans to open its first Morton's steakhouse in Mexico in 2009 in a joint venture with a local investor group. The new 7,900 square-foot Morton's steakhouse at Av. de Las Palmas, #405 will be located in the upscale Col Las Lamas area of Mexico City, a business center and an affluent part of the city that attracts many international visitors, tourists and residents because of its luxury hotels, shops, restaurants and embassies. The joint venture will expand Morton's growing international presence to Mexico for the first time and become the sixth Morton's steakhouse outside the United States and Puerto Rico. The Mexico City Morton's will have total seating capacity for approximately 255 guests, including approximately 120 in the main dining room, 50 in Morton's exclusive private boardrooms, 50 on the outdoor patio and 35 in Bar 12-21, Morton's bar dining concept. Morton's Restaurant Group, Inc. will control all of the restaurant's operations.
"Morton's looks forward to introducing our legendary brand of fine dining to Mexico and Mexico City for the first time under our disciplined growth strategy to expand in select international cities that meet our development goals," said Thomas J. Baldwin, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Morton's Restaurant Group, Inc. "We believe Morton's and Mexico City can represent a winning combination for people who want to enjoy a memorable world-class dining experience at a prime location in one of the world's legendary cities."
About Morton's
Morton's Restaurant Group, Inc. is the world's largest operator of company-owned upscale steakhouses. Morton's steakhouses have remained true to our founders' original vision of combining generous portions of high quality food prepared to exacting standards with exceptional service in an enjoyable dining environment. As of October 13, 2008, the Company owned and operated 80 Morton's steakhouses located in 68 cities in 28 states and Puerto Rico and five international locations (Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Toronto and Vancouver), as well as three Italian restaurants. Please visit our Morton's website at www.mortons.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Except for the historical information contained in this news release, the matters addressed are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements, written, oral or otherwise made, represent the Company's expectation or belief concerning future events. Without limiting the foregoing, the words "believes," "thinks," "anticipates," "estimates," "plans," "expects" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, or otherwise, from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, risks of the restaurant industry, including a highly competitive environment and industry with many well-established competitors with greater financial and other resources than the Company, the impact of changes in consumer tastes, local, regional and national economic and market conditions, restaurant profitability levels, expansion plans, timely construction and opening of new restaurants, demographic trends, traffic patterns, employee availability, benefits and cost increases, product safety and availability, government regulation, the Company's ability to maintain adequate financing facilities and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's most recent Form 10-K, Forms 10-Q and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could harm the Company's results. Consequently, there can be no assurance that actual results or developments anticipated by the Company will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable securities laws.
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