“The fourth quarter capped off another successful year that exceeded all of our annual growth goals,” said Sally Smith, president and chief executive officer. “Our 2009 revenue increase of nearly 28% (to $145,006,000) is testimony that our restaurant team members remained dedicated to creating a compelling dining experience for our Guests. And our focus on bottom-line performance is validated by impressive annual net earnings growth of over 25% (to $8,338,000). Our fast-paced unit growth throughout 2009 further established our position as a leader in the casual dining category as we opened 92 additional locations, a 16% increase in total units.
“We are confident we can achieve our new annual goals of 13% to 15% unit growth and 20% net earnings growth in 2010,” she said.
