Maryville, Tenn. — Ruby Tuesday is making it easier to eat healthy while dining out, with the addition of lunch salads, more seafood, and new choices on the Fresh Garden Bar. In addition, a new “Fit & Trim” symbol appears next to items on the menu that have 700 or fewer calories.
Ruby Tuesday founder and CEO, Sandy Beall, says, “We’re giving our guests more options and making it easier for them to identify healthier choices with the inclusion of the Fit & Trim symbol. We’ve added new selections while keeping our focus on fresh ingredients and bold flavors.
“These are great tasting dishes,” says Peter Glander, Ruby Tuesday’s Executive Chef, “with absolutely no compromise on flavor.” He cites the Herb-Crusted Tilapia, one of the restaurants’ most popular seafood dishes, as an example. The tender, mild fish is crusted with panko garlic bread crumbs and topped with lemon-butter sauce. It is served with fresh, steamed broccoli and white cheddar mashed potatoe, and has less than 700 calories. A total of 16 entrees on the new menu are designated Fit & Trim.
“The new menu offers even more variety,” says Kimberly Grant, Ruby Tuesday’s Executive Vice President. “For example, our guests are free to choose which two side items they would like with any entrée selection.” And the number of side dishes is growing, with healthy additions that include fresh grilled green beans and fresh grilled asparagus. To make the selection process even easier, the choices are divided into three categories. “We have our Classics, our new Fit & Trim sides, and our Premium sides – a group that includes a new baked macaroni-and-cheese,” says Grant.
For the lunch crowd, Ruby Tuesday has added a Petite Lunch Salad offering. Smaller portions of the Grilled Salmon Salad, the Carolina Chicken Salad, and others are available until 4:00 p.m. “The Petite Lunch Salad is perfect if you’re on the go or looking for something lighter,” says Glander. Ruby Tuesday’s signature Fresh Garden Bar also now has more variety with the addition of pepperoncini, banana peppers, sun dried tomatoes, cauliflower, apples, and green olives.
Ruby Tuesday recently began serving complimentary fresh-baked Garlic Cheese Biscuits to all guests. “Our delicious biscuits are a savory, yet sweet accompaniment to the meal. They are made from scratch and baked fresh throughout the day so they’re delivered to the table piping hot,” says Glander. One final addition to the menu is the growing list of premium wines that includes Cellar No. 8, Gnarly Head, Bonterra, Coppola, and Rodney Strong, among others.
“Ruby Tuesday guests now have the freedom to choose, and not just their sides. They can create their own Baby-Back Rib Platter with Louisiana fried shrimp or chicken wings, or they can add lobster tails or Lobster Mac-n-Cheese to their steak entrée for just $5 more,” says Beall. The CEO says he is confident guests are going to like the new menu, based on feedback from the test markets. “It’s clearly a departure from the not-always-fresh food that is still common at typical bar-and-grill restaurants,” says Beall.
All of the new menu changes are a continuation of Ruby Tuesday’s “Fresh Taste, Fresh Place” brand transformation. In 2005, the company began a reimaging initiative that included a focus on fresher food and gracious hospitality and concluded with the creation of a contemporary new look for its restaurants. The updated look, feel, and menu offerings are all important components of Ruby Tuesday’s mission to consistently provide a high-quality, casual dining experience with compelling value that guests will enjoy and remember.
For more information about Ruby Tuesday, please visit the company website at www.rubytuesday.com or on Facebook at www.facebook/rubytuesday.
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About Ruby Tuesday
Ruby Tuesday, Inc. has company-owned and/or franchised Ruby Tuesday brand restaurants in 46 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and 14 foreign countries. As of June 1, 2010, the company owned and operated 656 Ruby Tuesday restaurants, while domestic and international franchisees (including Hawaii and Guam) operated 165 and 58 restaurants, respectively. Ruby Tuesday, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (Symbol: RT).
by the guest’s choice of a fresh yogurt parfait with blackberry topping and crunchy granola or the signature Fresh Garden Bar. “Ruby Tuesday is all about variety, so we’ve made sure our guests have plenty of choices for their third-course entrée,” says Kimberly Grant, Ruby Tuesday’s Executive Vice President. Selections include Ruby’s Mini Benedicts with steak (pictured at right), salmon, Southern fried chicken or crab cakes, breakfast quesadillas, steak and eggs, specialty omelets, and fruit-filled crepes. To complete the delicious meal, each guest receives two freshly baked gourmet mini chocolate chip cookies. “Our executive chef, Peter Glander, and his team have spent countless hours working to perfect this menu. We are pleased with the positive response from our guests and will continue to explore new ways to incorporate bold flavors and create family favorites,” adds Grant.