Tuesday blow-up, Thursday publicity for Ruby Tuesday

Aug 08, 2008 (The Knoxville News Sentinel - McClatchy-Tribune News Service via COMTEX) -- RI | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Aug. 8--A video purporting to show Ruby Tuesday blowing up a competing restaurant when it had intended to demolish its own "last old-style" restaurant is getting thousands of replays on Youtube.com.

The company created the video as a "live Webcast" that aired Tuesday on its site, and its popularity prompted a news release Thursday from the company about the "mock mistake."

And a reason to promote its new menu and look.

"You may have heard recent news about the demolition of the last old-style Ruby Tuesday and the building we 'blew up' by mistake wasn't really real (you already had your suspicions?)," the company states on its Web site. "It was all for fun and our way of showing just how much we have changed, how most casual dining restaurants have come to look alike, and how much fresher and better Ruby Tuesday really is now."

The online campaign was launched in connection with the $65 million, one-year remodeling of more than 600 stores that ditched the Tiffany-style lamps and high school memorabilia, polished brass and striped awnings to a more contemporary, upscale look that embraces earth-tone colors and commissioned art and photographs. Exteriors are now uniform color with black awnings.

The company, whose sales and profits have suffered like many of its peers in the casual-dining segment, also launched its latest menu that includes new promotion items and a "return of some classics that were guest favorites." The company also is consistently promoting the freshness and quality of its food.

Founded 36 years ago in Knoxville with a single restaurant, Ruby Tuesday owns 721 restaurants across the country and has another 224 domestic and international franchises and is headquartered in Maryville.

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