ROCK BOTTOM RESTAURANTS, INC. FURTHERS ITS COMMITMENT TO GOOD CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP
WITH A NEW PAID TIME-OFF PROGRAM FOR VOLUNTEER WORKERS
Louisville, CO (July, 27 2007) – Colorado-based, Rock Bottom Restaurants, Inc. (RBR) announced today that the company is furthering its commitment to community by offering a new, paid time-off program for its Restaurant Support Office (RSO) employees in exchange for employees’ time spent doing volunteer work in its local communities.
Effective August 1st, RBR will provide every full-time support office employee with two fully paid days off per year to be used to volunteer at a non-profit organization of their choice.
“In 2006 to honor Old Chicago’s 30th and Rock Bottom’s 15th anniversaries, we rallied the troops and coordinated a week of volunteer opportunities during which RSO employees were encouraged to leave their desks to volunteer at local non-profit agencies. The program was a huge success both philanthropically and in a team building sense,” said Jessie Newman, Executive Director of the Rock Bottom Foundation.
According to Newman, in most cases departments volunteered together as a team during the week long event. Volunteers worked at local food banks, for environmental organizations and on a Habitat for Humanity project.
“Our office is already great place to work but during that week things were extra special. Working together for the greater good outside the office seemed to strengthen the bonds between teammates even further and when people work well as a team its bound to pay off in productivity,” explained Newman.
On the heels of the success of that program the Company decided that volunteerism needed to be a permanent part of our employee benefits package. A team researched what other companies were doing and were surprised to find only a handful of companies (including a sole restaurant company) had set policies for paying employees to volunteer in the community. The two day volunteer program was born and will soon be in effect at Rock Bottom. The Company will coordinate monthly programs for groups of volunteers or employees can find opportunities on their own. RBR is currently running a company wide contest to give the pioneering program its name.
“We’re also holding a contest to name the program. The lucky person coming up with the best name will receive a variety of gift cards and an extra day of time off to volunteer,” said Newman.
The Company also hopes to roll the program out to its restaurant teams in 2008.
In addition to the paid time off the volunteer program, RBR also offers its employees a complete health benefits package, life insurance, 401 (k), food allowance at its restaurants and pet insurance, not to mention that employees’ dogs are always welcome at the office.
For more information about this program or Rock Bottom Restaurants, Inc., please contact Communications Manager, Jen Chavez-Hartman at 303-664-4253 or jchavezhartman@rockbottom.com. (If you can’t reach me, I’m probably out volunteering!)
About Rock Bottom Restaurants, Inc.
Rock Bottom Restaurants, Inc. currently employs over 7,500 nationwide. It owns and operates 103 restaurants across the United States – 65 “Old Chicago” restaurants and 38 brewery concepts operating under the names “Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery,” “ChopHouse & Brewery,” and “Walnut Brewery”. The Company also operates two Sing Sing concepts, an entertainment venue featuring a dueling piano bar in a club setting. It has franchise partnerships under its Old Chicago brand that account for 26 locations.
In 2000, the Company formed the Rock Bottom Foundation, a 501(c) (3) non-profit entity. The Foundation’s primary focus is to make a positive impact on the issue of hunger within its communities, help its teammates in crisis, and inspire a culture of giving and volunteerism.
The Company’s annual sales in 2006 were $283 million ($335 million including Franchise locations) a 6% increase over fiscal 2005. Projected sales for 2007 are $315 million ($389 million including Franchise locations).
All of Rock Bottom’s restaurants are casual dining establishments featuring excellent service, high-quality, moderately priced food and a distinctive selection of micro-brewed and specialty beers served in a comfortable, hospitable atmosphere.
