• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Uno Chicago Grill(R) Partners With American Celiac Disease Alliance to Raise Money During Celiac Awareness Month in May

Posted on: Tuesday, 12 May 2009, 12:19 CDT

BOSTON, May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Uno Chicago Grill(R) (www.unos.com) will host a national Dough Rai$er beginning May 25 through 31 to benefit the American Celiac Disease Alliance (www.americanceliac.org) in support of National Celiac Awareness Month in May.

"Getting families to eat out during May, and supporting establishments which are serving their needs is a major goal for us," said Andrea Levario, executive director, American Celiac Disease Alliance.

Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, and barley.

Consumers interested in participating in the May Dough Rai$er can secure a voucher at www.unos.com/ACDA, which they can then bring to their local Uno Chicago Grill location. Twenty percent of sales generated from those who participate will support the ACDA cause.

"Uno(R) is proud to support the ACDA with our hugely popular Dough Rai$er program," said CEO Frank Guidara. "We care about the wellbeing of our customers and the communities we serve. To date, we've donated more than $2.9 million to deserving organizations!"

The company's gluten-free menu was launched in 2006 and has over 20 items ranging from entrees, salads, sides, beverages and desserts. Choices include grilled chicken with mango salsa, lemon basil salmon and Certified Angus Beef(R) steaks. Known for its signature deep-dish pizza, Uno launched a line of gluten-free pizzas earlier this year, featuring cheese and pepperoni.

The company has added a new veggie pizza in honor of Celiac Awareness Month that features peppers, onions and mushrooms as toppings. The new gluten-free veggie pizza will give those suffering from celiac disease yet another option to enjoy pizza at Uno.

With 12 million Americans suffering from food allergies, including 2.5 million school-age children(1), Uno considers it good business and good corporate citizenship to offer an ever-expanding gluten-free menu. This commitment is made all the more compelling by the fact that an estimated one in every 133 people has celiac disease. While awareness of celiac disease is rising, more than 95 percent of people with the disease remain undiagnosed. Among people who have a first-degree relative-a parent, sibling, or child--diagnosed with celiac disease, as many as 1 in 22 people may have the disease.(2)

In addition to its gluten-free menu offerings, Uno boasts a number of healthy firsts, including being the first national restaurant chain to eliminate artificial trans-fats and to increase menu and nutritional transparency via nutrition information centers located in their restaurants. For guest convenience and safety, Uno clearly labels menu items with ingredients that are linked to the most common food allergies, such as fish/shellfish, soy, tree nuts/peanuts, egg, milk and wheat/gluten. Diners can also preview the menu and nutritional information online via the company's website at www.unos.com.

The company has invested more than $2 million in nutritional advancements since 2005 and, according to Guidara, will continue its commitment to providing delicious, fresh and healthful menu options for its guests.

About Uno Restaurants:

Based in Boston, Uno Restaurant Holdings Corporation includes more than 200 company-owned and franchised full-service Uno Chicago Grill units located in 29 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Honduras, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. The company also operates a fast casual concept called Uno Due Go(R), a quick serve concept called Uno Express(R), and a consumer foods division which supplies airlines, movie theaters, hotels, airports, travel plazas, schools and supermarkets with both frozen and refrigerated private-label foods and branded Uno products. For more information, visit www.unos.com.

Contact: Elliott Subervi Utopia Communications for UNO (732) 542-9100 Ext. 111 Elliott@utopiacommunications.biz

(1) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Health Data for All Ages. Allergic conditions among children: US, 2000-2005. Available online at: http://wiki.medpedia.com/Food_Allergy

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health. Report of the NIH Expert Panel on Food Allergy Research. March 13-14, 2006. Available online at: http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/foodAllergy/ReportFoodAllergy.htm

(2)"Prevalence of celiac disease in at-risk and not-at-risk groups in the United States: a large multicenter study. Fasano

A - Arch Intern Med - 10-FEB-2003; 163(3): 286-92"

SOURCE Uno Chicago Grill

Source: PR Newswire

More News in this Category