Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Continues Illinois Expansion With Opening of Skokie Restaurant

Red Robin to give away FREE Child ID Kits and donate 50 cents from every gourmet burger sold during grand opening week to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (Red Robin) - known for its high-quality gourmet burgers and kid- and family-friendly atmosphere - will open a new Red Robin(R) restaurant in Skokie, located at 7050 Carpenter Road, in the Village Crossing Shopping Center, directly next to the movie theater, on Monday, Jan. 19, at 11 a.m. To support child safety efforts in the Skokie community, Red Robin will give away Child ID Kits for FREE* during grand opening week from Jan. 19 to 25. In addition, to celebrate Red Robin's ongoing commitment to kids and families, the Skokie restaurant has partnered with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to host a Burgers With A Heart(R) fundraiser during grand opening week. Red Robin will donate 50 cents from every gourmet burger sold during this time to NCMEC to support its child safety initiatives.

"We look forward to serving craveable gourmet burgers to the community in the Skokie area, while also supporting child safety efforts in the local community through our Child ID Kit program," said Eric Houseman, Red Robin president and chief operating officer. "We invite everyone to come to Red Robin to enjoy one of our more than two dozen high-quality gourmet burgers, learn more about child safety, and help us support the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children."

Red Robin focuses its philanthropic support on local and national causes that promote the health, welfare and education of children, families and citizens in the communities it serves. Because Red Robin is all about kids and families, its ongoing partnership with NCMEC continues to grow through the company's new restaurant openings and additional programs such as "The Next Gourmet Burger Kids' Recipe Contest."

"On behalf of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, I would like to thank Red Robin for their generous support of our mission," said Robbie Callaway, NCMEC co-founder and past Chairman of the Board. "It is important that we empower families to make safer decisions for their children, and communication and education are vital tools in that effort. With Red Robin's support, we are able to reach many more families across the country through our child safety initiatives."

The 5,896 square-foot Skokie Red Robin(R) restaurant will seat 189 guests and offers:

    --  A family-friendly, come-as-you-are atmosphere
    --  Birthday celebrations complete with a free sundae and special birthday
        song, and an online eClub that awards kids a free kids' meal and
        adults a free gourmet burger for their birthday
    --  Kids' menu featuring trans-fat-free favorites like
        mac'n'cheese, as well as fruit and vegetable side options,
        such as apple slices, baby carrots with ranch dressing and mandarin
        orange slices
    --  Detailed allergen information that is also easy to understand
    --  A unique Unbridled culture that inspires Red Robin team members to
        consistently put guests' needs first and perform random acts of
        kindness that enrich the lives of their fellow team members and guests,
        and that positively impact the community
    --  In-school programs designed to create caring communities, including the
        U-ACT(R) Champion Program, a national character-building initiative and
        grant program specifically designed for middle and junior high schools
        each academic year

For more information about Red Robin and to find additional restaurant locations, please visit www.redrobin.com.

About Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (Nasdaq: RRGB)

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (www.redrobin.com), a casual dining restaurant chain founded in 1969 that operates through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Red Robin International, Inc., serves up wholesome, fun, feel-good experiences in a kid- and family-friendly environment. Red Robin, which was named one of Parents magazine's Ten Best Family Restaurants, is famous for serving more than two dozen insanely delicious, high-quality gourmet burgers in a variety of recipes with Bottomless Steak Fries(R), as well as salads, soups, appetizers, entrees, desserts, and signature Mad Mixology(R) Beverages. There are more than 400 Red Robin(R) restaurants located across the United States and Canada, including corporate-owned locations and those operating under franchise agreements.

About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children(R) (NCMEC)

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Since it was established by Congress in 1984, the organization has operated the toll-free 24-hour national missing children's hotline which has handled more than 2.3 million calls. It has assisted law enforcement in the recovery of more than 132,314 children. The organization's CyberTipline has handled more than 648,700 reports of child sexual exploitation and its Child Victim Identification Program has reviewed and analyzed more than 19,518,370 child pornography images and videos. The organization works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice's office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. To learn more about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit its web site at www.missingkids.com.

*ID Kits available while supplies last.

SOURCE Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.

Released January 7, 2009