EAT Brinker International Inc

CHICAGO, March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Hispania Capital Partners, a private equity firm based in Chicago, has acquired a substantial interest in Miami- based Master Restaurant Developers ("MRD") and committed additional capital to pursue an aggressive restaurant expansion plan. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051019/CGW022LOGO ) With approximately $25 million in revenues, MRD is a leading restaurant operator in South Florida. MRD and its affiliate own and operate 13 franchised fast food and casual dining restaurants at Miami's International Airport. These restaurants include Chili's Grill & Bar, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Worldwide Cafe and Samuel Adams Pubs. In addition, MRD owns and operates three restaurants under the Chili's Grill & Bar and On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina names in the Miami metropolitan area. Hispania's initial investment acquired the interest of all non-management shareholders, two On The Border restaurants from Brinker International, and an exclusive territorial development agreement in South Florida. Carlos Signoret, a partner at Hispania Capital Partners, noted, "With an increased demand for casual dining in the United States we are confident about the growth potential for Chili's, On The Border and all other concepts." "We are enthusiastic to be working with MRD on this expansion," said Victor Maruri, also a partner at Hispania Capital Partners. "They are a superb partner for Hispania in both their established operational distinction and their ability to position, translate and market brands to consumers." MRD's executive management team is led by Messrs. Jose Alberni and Pedro Amaro, who collectively have over 60 years of experience in the restaurant business, including executive management positions with Fortune 500 restaurant operating companies. Mr. Pedro Amaro, chief operating officer of Master Restaurant Developers stated, "With outstanding value, impeccable service and a commitment to growth, we look forward to leveraging our relationship with Hispania to help us become even more efficient, effective and resourceful." Exact terms of the transaction were not disclosed. About Brinker International Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) is one of the world's leading casual dining restaurant companies, serving more than 1 million guests daily. Founded in 1975 and based in Dallas, Texas, Brinker owns or franchises more than 1,600 restaurants in 24 countries and employs more than 100,000. Brinker restaurant brands include Chili's Grill & Bar, Romano's Macaroni Grill, On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina and Maggiano's Little Italy. The company was named one of FORTUNE Magazine's Most Admired Companies in 2006 and in 2005 was honored by the magazine as one of the Top 50 Employers for Minorities and the Top 50 Employers for Women. For more information visit http://www.brinker.com/ . About Master Restaurant Developers Master Restaurant Developers and its affiliate operate several restaurant and concession concepts at the Miami International Airport, including Chili's Too, Chili's Grab 'N Go, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Samuel Adams Bar, Budweiser Brewhouse and World Wide Cafe. MRD also operates a Chili's Too at Bayside Marketplace and recently acquired the two On The Border locations in Kendall and Pembroke Lakes. About Hispania Capital Partners Hispania Capital Partners ( http://www.hispaniapartners.com/ ), a Chicago- based private equity firm, provides growth capital to middle-market companies targeting the U.S. Hispanic market across a wide range of industries, including print media and broadcasting, consumer goods, food manufacturing and distribution, business services, healthcare, financial services, education and retail. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051019/CGW022LOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Hispania Capital Partners CONTACT: Carlos Signoret, Managing Partner of Hispania Capital Partners, +1-312-697-4611, or Jose Alberni, Chief Financial Officer of Master Restaurant Developers, +1-305-871-0559 Web site: http://www.hispaniapartners.com/ http://www.brinker.com/

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