Bob Costas, Forbes' Rich Karlgaard to Keynote Schlotzsky's Mid-Year Meeting in New Orleans.

Business Editors

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 14, 2000

Sportscaster Bob Costas and Forbes publisher Rich Karlgaard will be the keynote speakers at the Schlotzsky's Inc. (Nasdaq:BUNZ) annual mid-year business meeting for franchisees and developers, Jan. 16-18, 2000 in New Orleans.

Over 400 franchisees, developers and suppliers are expected to attend the 2-day meeting to be held at the New Orleans Marriott. The star of the meeting will be technology and how it can positively impact the restaurant operations of Schlotzsky's franchisees.

The importance of technology will be reinforced by Forbes publisher Rich Karlgaard, who will address the general session on Monday. Founding editor of Forbes ASAP, Karlgaard is one of the nation's most influential technology journalists. Karlgaard will speak about "Winners and Losers in the New Century."

Costas, an award-winning broadcaster, has covered Major League Baseball, the NFL and college basketball, and has hosted nearly every major sporting event, including the World Series, the Super Bowl, and most notably, the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona and the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. Costas will regale franchisees with tales from the trenches of the sports world.

Other notable events at the meeting will be a preview of Schlotzsky's Office Software and Schlotzsky's redesigned public Web page and its proprietary Web page for franchisees. Both technologies were developed in-house at a savings to the franchise system. Workshops geared toward improving restaurant productivity and sales will also be offered to franchisees.

Schlotzsky's Inc., founded in Austin in 1971, is a franchisor of quick-service restaurants featuring made to order sandwiches served on distinctive sourdough bread, along with pizzas, salads and soups. As previously announced, as of Sept. 30, 1999, there were 760 Schlotzsky's restaurants operating in 37 states, the District of Columbia and 12 foreign countries. Systemwide sales for the trailing 12 months ended Nov. 30, 1999, were $401 million million.