Dine Out for No Kid Hungry and Name Your Baby Harland

MRM's News Bites features Smart Kitchen Summit, No Kid Hungry, Punchh and TGI Fridays UK,  Chipotle Mexican Grill, Bridg,  The Red Door Group, Nestlé and Starbucks, Metro Diner, Gather, Foodsby, FX Networks, Trejo’s Tacos and Postmates, Dunkin' Donuts and KFC.

Send news items to Barbara Castiglia at bcastiglia@modernrestaurantmanagement.com.

Smart Kitchen Summit

Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine is serving as a media partner for Smart Kitchen Summit is the leading event and community focused on the future of food, cooking and the kitchen. Now entering its fourth year, SKS brings together the world's innovators across the home appliance, culinary, grocery, smart home/IoT and technology industries to explore and forge new innovations in the food space. 

The team at SKS has offered a unique 25 percent off ticket code for MRM audience (MRM25). Here's a link to a special landing page to register.he Smart Kitchen Summit is the leading event and community focused on the future of food, cooking and the kitchen. 

If you've been to previous Summits, you already know this is the one event each year where leaders across the appliance, food, technology, cooking, retail and restaurant industries converge to map the future of food together.  If you've never been to SKS, you'll want to check out past Summits to get a taste of what to expect. And whether new or old, make sure to check out our initial roster of speakers and our early agenda here.  

Dine Out for No Kid Hungry

This back-to-school season, millions of students in the United States will hit the books lacking an essential school supply – healthy food. No Kid Hungry, a national campaign to end childhood hunger in America, is coming together with more than 15,000 restaurants and their guests to help the 1 in 6 children in America living with hunger.

Every September, restaurants across the country unite to end childhood hunger in America through Dine Out for No Kid Hungry, a guest-supported fundraising initiative. When guests dine out at a No Kid Hungry partner restaurant, from popular chains to local mom-and-pops, they can donate in exchange for valuable rewards. Every $1 donated provides a child with up to 10 meals.

To help raise awareness about childhood hunger and to highlight where to dine out this September, No Kid Hungry is launching its Hunger Can't Wait tour, which will travel to 5 cities across the country, hosting special events at partner restaurants from August 28 to September 17. The tour will kick off in Los Angeles with stops in San Diego, Denver, Dallas and Atlanta. These events will engage the public in a conversation about the urgency to end childhood hunger in America and celebrate restaurant employees' commitment to the cause.  Mobile billboards will be deployed in each market to spread the message and recognize employees and guests who support of the campaign.

"Nobody understands that hunger can't wait better than the restaurant industry," says Russ Bendel, CEO of Habit Burger Grill, and a longtime Dine Out for No Kid Hungry partner. "We're excited to continue our support of No Kid Hungry's work, and look forward to giving our guests a simple way to be part of the solution."

Childhood hunger isn't isolated to inner cities and rural communities. It affects kids and families in every city, town and suburb across America. When kids don't get enough to eat, they are more likely to struggle in school and get sick more often.

"Hungry kids can't learn, and kids who can't learn can't reach their best and brightest potential. Yet three out of four teachers regularly see kids come to school hungry," says Diana Hovey, Senior Vice President at Share Our Strength, the organization behind No Kid Hungry.  "Now is the time to act, and we're honored to once again have the support of restaurants, their team members and their diners in this work to end childhood hunger in America."

More information about where to dine out and No Kid Hungry's Hunger Can't Wait tour and can be found at NoKidHungry.org/DineOut. The public can join the conversation on social using #HungerCantWait.

Dine Out for No Kid Hungry national sponsors include Citi, Ecolab, Food Network, National Restaurant Association and Open Table.

Punchhing Up KPI 

Marketing automation platform Punchh and TGI Fridays UK  revealed results driven by the casual dining chain's new mobile app, expanded customer loyalty and relationship programs. In just four weeks, TGI Fridays realized significant uplift over multiple key performance indicators, including:

• Loyalty Visits: Up 61 percent
• Signups: Up 30 percent
• Unique guests: Up 51 percent
• Loyalty Revenue: Up 66 percent
• Referred users with a verified visit: Up 300 percent

The updated mobile experience and loyalty structure are part of a brand refresh for Fridays in the UK, driven by new Chief Marketing Officer Steve Flanagan, formerly Marketing Director of Starbucks EMEA. Under Flanagan's leadership, the brand has overhauled its digital presence and updated the in-store experience with new brand identity and the addition of vegan menu options.

Expanding on a relationship in place since January 2015, TGI Fridays enlisted Punchh for the new app with the goal of increasing customer engagement as well as assisting in customer acquisition. Building on the gamification approach of the previous iteration, also developed with Punchh, the updated app replaces the "Scratch, Match and Win" probability-based program with a spend-based system of "stripes" or points that can be used to unlock different reward options.

Said Punchh CEO Shyam Rao, "TGI Friday UK's mobile marketing success is a shining example of how brick and mortars can leverage digital customer engagement strategies to grow their businesses. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Fridays and helping them to not only attract and retain customers, but also turn them into loyalists."

Said Flanagan, "This new app and loyalty program are a huge leap forward in mobile customer relationship management for us, and we're excited to see such immediate, remarkable results. It's clear that the ability to communicate with existing and potential guests at the time and place they choose has immense value, and the positive impact we've seen to date are certainly only the beginning."

Chipotle Launches Direct Delivery 

Chipotle Mexican Grill launched direct delivery powered through DoorDash, which allows customers to get Chipotle delivered without ever having to leave Chipotle's app or website. 

"Fans have long been requesting Chipotle delivery, and as part of our commitment to make it easy for our customers to get the delicious food they love when, where and how they want it, we're rolling out our own delivery service powered through DoorDash as the last mile delivery partner," said Curt Garner, chief digital and information officer at Chipotle. "We're proud to be among the first fast casual chains to offer this delivery service and are excited to kick it off with this special offer for our customers."

To celebrate the launch of Chipotle in-app delivery, free delivery will be available on all orders of $10 or more placed through the Chipotle website or app for a limited time. Chipotle customers love the ability for deep customization online, and now they can get the same level of personalization for delivery. Whether it's doing half and half proteins, light rice or extra cheese, fans can now get Chipotle delivery exactly the way they want it.

Making the Chipotle experience as accessible as possible is a top priority for the brand. Chipotle evaluated numerous delivery partners before ultimately deciding to expand its relationship with DoorDash, who is powering Chipotle's new delivery service, based on their ability to get Chipotle fans the real food they love quickly while maintaining the highest quality. Chipotle delivery is now available in all 70 markets at the over 1,800 Chipotle restaurants that DoorDash currently serves.

"We're excited to expand our momentous partnership by powering Chipotle's in-app and web delivery experience," said Christopher Payne, chief operating officer of DoorDash. "Our expanded partnership leverages our strong logistics platform, which enables Chipotle to further the brand's commitment to make its delicious food available to their customers wherever and however they want it."

The availability of this new delivery service is part of Chipotle's plan to grow its digital offerings to make the real food customers love more accessible. This latest innovation comes on the heels of several other digital enhancements and pilots including mobile shelving units and a digitally enabled second make line.

Customers can check out this new service and enjoy free delivery by visiting order.chipotle.com or the mobile app.

Pan Joins Bridg

Bridg appointed Gerrine Pan to the newly created role of Chief Brand Officer. In her new role, Pan, co-founder of Relevant Mobile, will be responsible for the creative direction and marketing of Bridg as well as oversee business development efforts.

Gerrine Pan

Pan joined Bridg following its acquisition of Relevant Mobile, a leading POS-integrated mobile app, loyalty and rewards program developer. Together, the companies bring the most complete suite of CRM, Customer Data Platform (CDP), loyalty, email and app marketing software to restaurant and retail marketers and their agencies, empowering digital marketers with the same level of intelligence and reach available to online retailers.

"Gerrine’s entrepreneurial mindset and successful track record rolling out disruptive, customized technologies in the restaurant industry are key strengths instrumental to our growth and evolution as a company,” said Amit Jain, Founder and CEO of Bridg. “We’re excited to have her on board and playing a critical role as we continue to execute against our strategic growth plan and introduce Bridg’s pioneering technology to retail and restaurant businesses across the U.S.”

As part of her responsibilities Pan will help bring to market the Bridg Customer Data Platform (CDP), launching this fall. Designed specifically for the needs of restaurants and retailers, the Bridg CDP makes it possible for brick-and-mortar businesses to know and engage previously unreachable guests 1:1 at scale. Pan is a current Advisory Council Member of the Restaurant Leadership Council. Prior to co-founding Relevant Mobile in 2011 Ms. Pan held the role of Restaurant Stock Analyst at Goldman Sachs. She received a Bachelor of Economics degree from Wellesley College and a Master’s in Business Administration degree from Harvard University.

"I am thrilled to join Bridg’s dynamic team and help build the world’s most comprehensive customer identification platform for brick-and-mortar businesses,” said Ms. Pan. “Given the considerable challenges facing retailers and restaurant operators, it is more important than ever that industry partners like Bridg bring game-changing technology to the table to enable a new era of revenue growth powered by data-driven marketing decisions.”

Bear's Lair Tavern to Debut

Under the management of The Red Door Group, Bear’s Lair Tavern (BLT), a fine casual bar and grill, will open this September at 2465 Bancroft Way, on the edge of the UC Berkeley campus. The name Bear’s Lair Tavern is a nod to the original Bear’s Lair, a beloved hangout for students and East Bay diners that first opened in 1962.

Reign Free

In partnership with UC Berkeley, managing partner Reign Free, the owner and founder of Bay Area catering and events company The Red Door Group, is creating a lively, casual and inviting dining experience that represents Berkeley’s vibrant, diverse community and the restaurant’s connection to the local student population. The restaurant concept features a service model where guests order food and beverage from the counter, then select a table in the dining area with an order receipt in hand. Patrons are then greeted by servers, while meals and drinks are delivered tableside.

The Bear’s Lair Tavern menu features gastropub fare and Red Door Group favorites and was created by Free in collaboration with her longtime friend Chef David Lawrence, the owner of 1300 on Fillmore, who is executing the restaurant’s menu and overseeing kitchen operations as a consulting chef.  A portion of the restaurant’s sales will go to support UC Berkeley student organizations and programs.

“After years of owning and operating a successful catering company, I am excited to partner with UC Berkeley," said Free. "At Bear’s Lair Tavern, my team, and I have brought our passion, creativity and extensive culinary experience together to create something truly special and reflective of the close-knit Berkeley community. In addition to generating 50 new jobs, we look forward to fostering a warm, friendly environment where guests can form meaningful connections with their neighbors." 

The Bear’s Lair Tavern menu will include shared plates and hearty entrees using fresh ingredients, with many gluten-free, vegan and dairy-free options. Opening menu highlights include Chef Lawrence’s signature 1300 Fried Chicken Sandwichwith jalapeño slaw, honey mustard dressing on a brioche bun; California Style Pizza with classic toppings; the Impossible Burgerwith a tahini piquillo spread on a toasted bun; Grilled Salmonwith mint pomegranate tabbouleh and preserved lemon yogurt; Gingered French Green Lentilswith fennel, Bloomsdale spinach and papadum; Sambal Chili-Honey Chicken Wingswith creamy wasabi dipping sauce; and Classic Mac-n-Cheesewith sharp cheddar, gruyere, and brioche breadcrumbs. Dessert options include Warm Bread Pudding; a Double Brownie Sundae; or Darren’sRoot Beer Float. In addition, the restaurant will celebrate its name with seasonal BLT sandwiches, as well as “FOMO” fries, which will change regularly.

The beverage program at Bear’s Lair Tavern highlights 20 rotating beers, cider and kombucha on tap, signature cocktails that complement the creative menu, and a selection of California and global wines available by the glass.

Modernized by Ben Frombgen of Bcooperative, the open and airy restaurant will feature a 100-plus seating space that offers a dynamic dining ambiance with archived Berkeley images, communal tables (replacing many of the tables for two), and the Beacon, a community beer garden with patio seating, distressed wood communal tables and festival lighting. Best known for its distinct interior design and seating solutions, Bcooperative projects include the Alembic and Pinhole Coffee in San Francisco, The Rake in Alameda, and Drake’s Dealership in Oakland. Bear’s Lair Tavern will also show collegiate and professional sports on televisions throughout the space and will feature outdoor games for guests to play.

Nestlé and Starbucks Partner on Packaged Goods

Nestlé and Starbucks Corporation closed the deal granting Nestlé the perpetual rights to market Starbucks Consumer Packaged Goods and Foodservice products globally, outside of the company’s coffee shops.

Through the alliance, the two companies will work closely together on the existing Starbucks range of roast and ground coffee, whole beans as well as instant and portioned coffee. The alliance will also capitalize on the experience and capabilities of both companies to work on innovation with the goal of enhancing its product offerings for coffee lovers globally.

“This partnership demonstrates our growth agenda in action, giving Nestlé an unparalleled position in the coffee business with a full suite of innovative brands. With Starbucks, Nescafé and Nespresso we bring together the world’s most iconic coffee brands,” said Mark Schneider, Nestlé CEO. “The outstanding collaboration between the two teams resulted in a swift completion of this agreement, which will pave the way to capture further growth opportunities,” he added.

The agreement significantly strengthens Nestlé’s coffee portfolio in the North American premium roast and ground and portioned coffee business. It also unlocks global expansion in grocery and foodservice for the Starbucks brand, utilizing the global reach of Nestlé.

“This global coffee alliance with Nestlé is a significant strategic milestone for the growth of Starbucks,” said Kevin Johnson, president and ceo of Starbucks. “Bringing together the world’s leading coffee retailer, the world’s largest food and beverage company, and the world’s largest and fast-growing installed base of at-home and single-serve coffee machines helps us amplify the Starbucks brand around the world while delivering long-term value creation for our shareholders.”

Approximately 500 Starbucks employees in the United States and Europe will join the Nestlé family, with the majority based in Seattle and London. The international expansion of the business will be led from Nestlé’s global headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland.

The agreement covers Starbucks packaged coffee and tea brands, such as Starbucks®, Seattle’s Best Coffee®, Teavana^TM/MC, Starbucks VIA® Instant, Torrefazione Italia® coffee and Starbucks-branded K-Cup® pods. It excludes Ready-to-Drink products and all sales of any products within Starbucks® coffee shops.

Ruth's Chris Steak House Opens in Jersey City 

Ruth's Chris Steak House, top photo, has brought its signature sizzle to Jersey City, unveiling a sophisticated, new restaurant location in the heart of the city's Newport neighborhood.

"We are thrilled to debut our newest restaurant in Jersey City's Newport neighborhood," said Ruth's Chris Steak House President and CEO Cheryl Henry. "Paired with our iconic USDA Prime Steaks and mouthwatering menu, this restaurant offers sleek, stylish design features that I have no doubt will set the stage for Newport's most memorable celebrations."  

Featuring an upscale and modern atmosphere, the 11,750-square-foot restaurant offers a vibrant, indoor bar for gatherings as well as an outdoor lounge, elegant dining room, and three private dining areas which can accommodate parties of 18 to 82 guests for celebrations and events of all kinds. On the menu, guests will find the steak house's revered USDA Prime steaks—sourced from the top 2-percent of the country's beef and served sizzling on 500-degree plates—alongside high-quality seafood, fresh salads and appetizers, homemade sides and decadent desserts.  

In anticipation of the new restaurant, Ruth's Chris raised $10,000 with private team training dinners to benefit Community Food Bank of New Jersey. As the state's largest anti-hunger and anti-poverty organization, the nonprofit helps provide millions of meals and critical resources to families across the state.   

Metro Diner Launches Fundraising for Pediatric Cancer Foundation

Metro Diner teamed up with the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation (NPCF) to launch a round-up fundraising campaign at its 62 diners nationwide. Metro Diner, NPCF’s first national restaurant partner, is helping the charity create additional awareness during September, which is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

“We are proud to partner with National Pediatric Cancer Foundation on their mission to eliminate childhood cancer,” said Crafton Bryant, Director of Marketing of Metro Diner. “As a place where the locals eat, we truly care about the families and children we serve and invite our guests to join us in raising awareness and funding for this remarkable organization.”

Known for serving serious diner food from an extensive menu of traditional diner dishes, Metro Diner is dedicated to the communities they serve. Beginning August 27^th, when Metro Diner guests pay for their meals they will be given an opportunity to round-up their check to the nearest dollar, add increments of $1, $2 and $5, or provide a custom amount. The campaign runs through the end of September.

“The team at Metro Diner not only serves amazing comfort food, but they are also providing comfort to children fighting cancer,” said David Frazer, CEO of the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. “We are proud to partner with Metro Diner to raise awareness and funds for pediatric cancer research, and we appreciate and thank the Metro Diner customers for donating at their local diner.”  

Both Metro Diner and NPCF are headquartered in Tampa, FL. For more information and to find out how you can donate today, please visit metrodiner.com/npcfroundup.

Gathering Up Growth

Gather has made recent additions to their executive team, acquired the company EVENTup in June, garnered industry accolades (including recognition from the Inc. 5000 Awards), launched the Gather Booking Network, and relocated to a new office to manage a rapidly growing team. By the end of 2018, the company projects to more than double its headcount with 130 total employees.

Last year, Gather helped plan and manage over 700,000 events for more than 5,000 restaurants and venues across the U.S., powering more than $1 billion in event revenue.

“The growth and momentum Gather has had so far in 2018 puts us in an excellent position to continue driving the event industry forward,” said Nick Miller, co-founder and CEO of Gather. “While I am proud of the company’s success, we’re also excited to bring new resources to our customers to continue to propel their events business forward.” In July, Gather launched the Gather Booking Network, the world's largest events network, allowing restaurants and venues to tap into a larger audience by promoting their businesses in the top places where millions of event planners go to find and book events. The growing partner list includes Yelp, EVENTup, BizBash and Wedding Spot.

Gather also added Thomas Angst to its executive leadership team as Senior Vice President of Sales. Thomas brings 20 years of leadership experience in growing and scaling companies, most notably in his role as Regional VP of Sales & Restaurant Relations at OpenTable.

“Throughout my 14 years with OpenTable, I became passionate about the hospitality industry,” said Thomas Angst, SVP of Sales, Gather. “Through OpenTable customers that were using and loving Gather, I learned how the software works and truly saw the value it added to business owners in building additional revenue streams. The leadership team at Gather is like-minded and focused on helping restaurants and venues succeed in their business. I believe in the opportunity of creating a positive impact for our present and future customers and am proud to be a part of the team."

Thomas will be helping scale Gather’s sales team, supporting the company-wide team growth by adding over 100 jobs through 2019. To accommodate the growing team, Gather relocated offices in August from Inman Park to a 31,000 sq. ft., fully custom-built office space, designed by Nelson Design, in Midtown Atlanta’s 715 Peachtree building.

Foodsby Secures Funding

Foodsby, Inc. secured $13.5 million in Series B funding, bringing total funding to $21 million. The funding round was led by Piper Jaffray Merchant Banking and included investments from Series A funding partners Greycroft Partners, Corazon Capital, LLC and Rally Ventures. The additional funding will drive continued market expansion and talent investment.

Founded in 2012, Foodsby has redefined food delivery by enabling employees in office buildings to order lunch from local restaurants and get it delivered straight to their office. Busy professionals place orders online, orders are aggregated via Foodsby.com, and the restaurants delivers all the meals at once. As a trusted partner to thousands of office buildings and restaurants, Foodsby is truly a turnkey solution, offering a sustainable food amenity for offices, increased profits for restaurants, and a convenient and affordable lunch option for consumers.

"It is the hard work and dedication of our team that has allowed us to achieve this important next step," said Ben Cattoor, CEO, Foodsby. "We have established a successful model for new market entry with a tried and true combination of talent and technology. We look forward to building on our early successes and learnings to deliver continued growth for our investors and our team."

"Foodsby caught our attention because of its differentiated model and exceptional value proposition, not only for consumers, but also for restaurants and building owners/tenants," said Ted Christianson, managing director of Piper Jaffray Merchant Banking. "We are very excited to be partnering with the Foodsby team to help them continue their impressive growth."

Foodsby will continue its growth trajectory in 2018 through expansion to 15-25 new markets and deepening its talent base on the sales, marketing and development teams.

Trejo’s Mayans M.C.Taco

FX Networks is partnering with Trejo’s Tacos and Postmates to celebrate the series premiere of its highly-anticipated drama series Mayans M.C., the next chapter in Kurt Sutter’s award-winning Sons of Anarchy saga. Mayans M.C.premieres Tuesday, September 4 at 10 PM ET/PT on FX.

Beginning Monday, August 27, the Los Angeles-area chain founded by actor Danny Trejo is offering the exclusive “Trejo’s Mayans M.C.Taco” at its three Cantina locations (Hollywood, Pasadena and Woodland Hills) as well as its two fast casual locations (La Brea and USC). Additionally, Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts in Hollywood will be offering a custom, limited-edition donut, the “Trejo’s Mayans M.C. Donut.” The promotional partnership ends Monday, September 10.

If your chopper’s in the shop, FX Networks is sponsoring free delivery of Trejo’s fare via Postmates between Friday, August 31 and Thursday, September 6. Special Mayans M.C.-themed trucker hats will be available as a gift with any Trejo’s Taco’s purchase from the Trejo’s Tacos – La Brea, Trejo’s Tacos – USC  and Trejo’s Cantina – Hollwood locations, whiles supplies last. To order, download Postmates on iOS or Android or visit Postmates.com.

Set in a post-Jax Teller world, Mayans M.C. follows Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes (JD Pardo) who is fresh out of prison and a prospect in the Mayans M.C. charter on the Cali/Mexi border. Now, EZ must carve out his new identity in a town where he was once the golden boy with the American Dream in his grasp. The series also stars Clayton Cardenas, Edward James Olmos, Sarah Bolger, Michael Irby, Carla Baratta, Antonio Jaramillo, Raoul Max Trujillo, Richard Cabral, and Danny Pino. Recurring stars include Emilio Rivera, Frankie Loyal, Joseph Lucero, Vincent Rocco Vargas, Maurice Compte, Gino Vento, Tony Plana and Ada Maris. Mayans M.C. was co-created by Kurt Sutter and Elgin James. Norberto Barba directs the first two episodes. The series is executive produced by Sutter and Barba, with James as Co-Executive Producer. The 10-episode first season is produced by Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions

Dunkin's Alexa Integration

Dunkin' Donuts' On-the-Go Mobile Ordering is now available through Alexa. With this new integration, DD Perks® Rewards members can place a mobile order for Dunkin' Donuts coffee, beverages, baked goods and breakfast sandwiches on an Alexa-enabled device, and then speed past the line for pick-up.

Guests who have a DD Perks account and an Amazon account can link them together in the Alexa app once they open the skill, with all ordering and payments happening within Dunkin' Donuts' mobile platform. When a guest places and submits an order through Amazon Alexa, they will be asked which location they would like it to be sent to and the time their order will be ready. Guests can order from saved Favorites they have previously ordered via the Dunkin' Mobile® App.

To start their order, guests need simply say, "Alexa, order from Dunkin' Donuts." 

The new Dunkin' Donuts Ordering skill for Alexa joins the Dunkin' Donuts Quiz, first introduced on National Coffee Day last year. The Dunkin' Donuts Quiz allows users with an Alexa-enabled device to enjoy a unique quiz that includes freshly brewed questions on everything from hot and iced coffee facts and the history of coffee, to Dunkin' knowledge and donut trivia. To play the quiz, guests can enable the Dunkin' Donuts skill in the Alexa app and say, "Alexa, play Dunkin' Donuts Quiz."

"Our integration with Amazon Alexa is our latest innovation to better serve members of our DD Perks program, which remains one of the fastest growing loyalty programs in the quick service restaurant industry, with nearly 8 million members," said Stephanie Meltzer-Paul, Vice President, Digital and Loyalty Marketing for Dunkin' Donuts U.S. "As a brand, we are always looking for ways to fit seamlessly into our guests' daily routines and provide new levels of convenience and speed."

Inspiring the Next Generation of Harlands

Kentucky Fried Chicken® is celebrating its founder Colonel Harland Sanders' 128^th birthday in the best way possible – by launching a contest to inspire the next generation of Harlands.

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, "Harland" ranked #3,257 on the list of most common baby names for 2017. To honor the world's most famous chicken salesman, continue his namesake and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs, KFC is offering a college donation to the first child born on the Colonel's birthday (Sept. 9, 2018) named Harland.

As a birthday gift from the Colonel and KFC, the first baby Harland will receive $11,000 (in honor of KFC's 11 herbs and spices, of course!) to go towards their college education, setting them up for future success.

KFC is celebrating its founder Colonel Harland Sanders’ 128th birthday by offering a college donation to the first child born on the Colonel’s birthday (Sept. 9, 2018) and named Harland. (PRNewsfoto/KFC)

Colonel Harland David Sanders was born on September 9, 1890. Ever the entrepreneur, Harland Sanders did things the Hard Way. Whether bouncing back from a series of failed jobs and business ventures or founding Kentucky Fried Chicken in his 60s, Harland never gave up. Harland's grit, passion and fervor are what KFC wants to instill into the next generation.

"Even though vintage names are making a comeback, our iconic founder's name was dwindling in popularity, and we couldn't just stand idly by and let that happen," said Andrea Zahumensky, KFC U.S. chief marketing officer. "We hope that this birthday celebration honors the Colonel and encourages the next generation of people aspiring to live the American dream."

Beginning on Sept. 9, parents can submit the name, date and time of their baby Harland's birth along with their contact information on www.kfc.com/babyharland. The site will be live for 30 days, giving parents time to adjust to the newest addition to their family. The baby's first name must be Harland to qualify, and each entry will be vetted appropriately to ensure that the winning child was in fact (among those who entered) the first Harland born on September 9, 2018.