US based POLLO TROPICAL® opens it’s first Restaurant in India

EAST OF KAILASH, India - June 17, 2013 - PRLog -- Pollo Tropical®, the U.S. based, Caribbean-inspired fast-casual restaurant chain, has opened its 33rd internationally franchised location and its first restaurant in India. Located in Delhi in the DLF Place Mall (Saket), India’s first Pollo Tropical is strategically positioned in one of the most prestigious shopping and dining centers in the region. The restaurant is the first of a 10-restaurant development agreement between Pollo Tropical and Delhi-based Paramount Cuisines Pvt. Ltd.

“Bringing the flavor of Pollo Tropical to the people of India has been a dream come true for our whole team,” said Paramount CEO Manjit Singh Saini. “It is both a pleasure and a privilege for Paramount Cuisines to expand the customer base of Pollo Tropical to our country, and provide Delhi this delicious taste of the tropics.”

He further added “Our Cuisine is not only Grilled and Delicious but Healthy as well.  We are delighted to cater to nearly all age groups, thru our wholesome  food.  In the first Six days of our Launch, we had 10 Repeat guests  and we already have some regulars, which conveys  the liking and preference of our food with our guests.  Our flavors and taste resonates with the Indian palate, hence such likable outcome.”

In addition to its famous marinated, grilled chicken and other Caribbean-influenced menu favorites, Pollo Tropical has created a set of unique vegetarian options featuring paneer cheese to appeal to the Indian palate.  The paneer is marinated in the same Caribbean spices and tropical fruit juices used to marinate Pollo’s signature open flame grilled chicken.

“The opening of the first Pollo Tropical in India is a true testament to the fact that this brand is not bordered by hemispheres, languages or culture. The flavor resonates with freshness and uniqueness that is guaranteed to create loyal fans among its patrons in India,” said Marc Mushkin, Senior Vice President of International Development for Pollo Tropical.

The Pollo Tropical brand expansion to India is the culmination of an initiative that began with its participation in a U.S. Department of Commerce-sponsored Franchise Trade Mission to India. As part of the agreement, Paramount Cuisines will open at least ten Pollo Tropical locations in the National Capital Region, Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana by 2016.

About Pollo Tropical

Pollo Tropical, a subsidiary of Fiesta Restaurant Group®, owns and operates 95 locations in the United States (Florida, Georgia and Tennessee) plus four licensed restaurants located on college campuses in Florida.  The company has 33 international franchised locations in Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, India, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago, Venezuela and has development agreements in place for additional franchised units in those areas.  Pollo also has development agreements in place for future franchised restaurants in Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, and Guatemala.  The first Pollo Tropical restaurant opened in 1988 in Miami, Florida.  The unique restaurant concept is known for its fresh, never frozen, open flamed grilled chicken, marinated in a proprietary blend of tropical fruit juices and spices, as well as authentic made-from-scratch side dishes.  For more information on Pollo Tropical, including menu items and nutritional information as well as information about international franchising, visit Pollo’s website at www.pollotropical.com .

About Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc.

Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. owns and operates the Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana® restaurant brands.  Fiesta’s brands specialize in the operation of fast-casual, ethnic restaurants that offer distinct and unique flavors with broad appeal at a compelling value.  Both brands feature made-from-scratch cooking, fresh salsa bars, and drive-thru service and catering.  Fiesta common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol FRGI.  For more information about Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc., visit the company's website at www.frgi.com.

About Paramount Group :

PARAMOUNT is an ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 Certified Group engaged in Textile Testing and Quality Control Instruments Since 1964.  They specialize in Setting Quality Control Labs for  Garment Exporters, Buying Houses, Textile Mills, Dyeing & process Houses, Fashion and  Educational Institutes etc.

Paramount has a large portfolio of more than 180 products being manufactured at the Three State-of-the-art facilities in Haryana. More than 85% of the buying houses operating in India use Paramount Instruments to check the Quality of their Merchandise.  Paramount has  set up more than 3600 Q.C. Labs and have more than 27000 installations of their instruments in India and 45 countries across the globe.