Englewood Cliffs, NJ, and Scottsdale, AZ, August 19, 2009 - P. F. Chang's China Bistro, Inc., known for its high-quality Asian cuisine and dining experience through its restaurants around the United States, and Unilever, one of the world's largest consumer products companies, jointly announced that the companies have entered into an exclusive licensing agreement to develop a line of frozen Asian entrées for the U.S. under the P.F. Chang's brand.
Terms of the licensing agreement were not disclosed.
“Unilever revolutionized frozen ethnic cuisine in 2005 by introducing consumers to the award-winning taste of Bertolli Frozen Italian Skillet Meals. We are excited by the prospect of doing it again, this time in Asian cuisine, in partnership with P.F. Chang’s,” said John LeBoutillier, Unilever’s senior vice president, Foods U.S. “The opportunity is significant. From research, Asian cuisine ranks only behind Italian among ethnic cuisines for consumers and P.F. Chang’s is their favorite.”
“Our biggest challenge was finding a partner we believed could help us produce a frozen meal that we’d be proud to put our name on, and we’ve found that in Unilever,” said Rick Federico, Chairman and Co-CEO, P. F. Chang’s China Bistro. “This represents a fantastic growth opportunity for our company and allows our brand to reach more people more often. We believe it will complement our core business at the restaurants.”
The companies will work together on the development and launch of the new premium line of frozen Asian-style entrées. A launch date for the new products has not yet been set.
About Unilever
Unilever’s mission is to add vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. Each day, around the world, consumers make 160 million decisions to purchase Unilever products.
In the United States, the portfolio includes major brand icons such as: Axe, Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann's, Klondike, Knorr, Lipton, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever employs nearly 12,000 people in both the United States and Puerto Rico – generating nearly $10 billion in sales in 2008.
About P.F. Chang’s
P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Inc. owns and operates two restaurant concepts in the Asian niche: P.F. Chang's China Bistro and Pei Wei Asian Diner. P.F. Chang’s China Bistro owns and operates more than 190 Bistro restaurants across the United States featuring a blend of high-quality, traditional Chinese cuisine and American hospitality in a sophisticated, contemporary bistro setting. Each dish on the extensive P.F. Chang’s menu is prepared to order using only the freshest and highest of quality ingredients.