"Bowls" Big Hit at HeartWise; HeartWise Express Taps Latin and Asian Influences for New Menu Items.

Business Editors/Food & Restaurant Writers

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 3, 2000

HeartWise Express, a health conscious quick-serve restaurant giving new meaning to the term "fast food," has once again struck a chord with Chicagoans with the introduction of two new "bowls." Inspired by global staples not found at most American restaurants, the new Aztec Tamale Bowl and Sesame Rice Box Chicken Bowl have quickly become top selling items at HeartWise.

"My vision has always been to introduce people to foods and flavors from around the world," said Rosemary Deahl, founder and CEO of HeartWise Express. "Popularity of the new bowls is evidence people are seeking new tastes and new styles of food they just can't get at traditional fast food restaurants."

The Aztec Tamale Bowl features a green chile cheese tamale, wrapped in a corn husk and topped with red tomato salsa. It is served with Mexicali rice and a hot black bean and sweet corn salad. Tamales cooked in corn husks have long been a staple of Latin and Central America and can be found in small Latin restaurants in major US cities.

The Sesame Rice Box Chicken Bowl features a sesame crusted chicken breast served on top of a steamed and roasted rice cake with Asian style veggies and a ginger soy dressing. To complete the dish, it comes wrapped in a banana leaf, a common practice throughout Asia that has only recently made its way into high-end fusion restaurants here in the United States.

HeartWise Express offers a healthy alternative to typical fast food chains by serving a wide variety of low-fat, high quality menu items in a quick serve format. The diverse menu features smoothies, wraps, rice & noodle bowls, veggie burgers, sandwiches, salads, side dishes and fresh baked goods, all prepared with less fat and more fresh and natural ingredients. Nutrition information for each item is clearly displayed on menus and tabletop charts.

The 2,703 square foot restaurant with seating capacity for 85 guests serves breakfast along with fresh in-house baked goods and a full lunch/dinner menu. Hours of operation are 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. HeartWise Express serves an average of 1,000 customers a day and estimates 35% of their lunchtime customers frequent the restaurant 2-3 times per week.

HeartWise Express was founded by Rosemary Deahl, CEO of Big Deahl Productions, a Chicago-based commercial film production company specializing in the food industry. After years of working closely with prominent fast food restaurants, Deahl discovered a void in the market for healthy, fast and tastefully presented cuisine, which led to the development of the HeartWise Express concept. In 1996, HeartWise Express opened its doors at 10 South LaSalle, Chicago. Deahl plans to expand the HeartWise concept both locally and nationally.