Strauss Group Attains Another Global Destination Through Its Max Brenner Subsidiary, Launching MB's Largest-Ever Chocolate Bar In Las Vegas

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Aug 10, 2010, 04:30 ET

TEL AVIV, Israel, August 10, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

- Max Brenner Chain of The Strauss Group is Launching its Largest-Ever Chocolate Bar at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace - The Largest Trade and Shopping Center in Las Vegas at a USD 3 Million Investment

Giora Bar Dea, CEO of Strauss North America, said today: "The Max Brenner chocolate bar chain, which is gaining much attention and success in the U.S. and is perceived as a fascinating concept there, continues to implement its strategy of building Max Brenner as an international brand. The new branch at the center of Las Vegas is a strategically-ideal location for us to present our brand on the West Coast and to boost our international exposure. We believe that our concept perfectly fits the location and special experience, and are confident that both the millions of visitors and the local community will warmly embrace the unique concept of the Max Brenner chain."

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080826/317650 )

Oded Brenner, Founder of Max Brenner: "You must open a branch in Las Vegas. There is no other place in the world that fits Max Brenner perfectly like Las Vegas. It's as if this concept was specifically-tailored for Vegas ... and so, almost from the very first branch we opened I have been chased by this mantra which was repeated to me in every new location we launched, but the idea remained like Vegas: unattainable, larger than life, like a dream.

"Then I remember my first trips to Vegas more than five years ago, and the thoughts that maybe this is all doable after all. Every time I got there I saw the dazzling signs of the world's largest brands whose stores in Manhattan seemed like small corner shops compared to the huge flagship venues in Vegas, with stars like Elton John and Jerry Seinfeld paying regular visits there. And all of this enormity was almost screaming to me that maybe Vegas would remain just a dream, that is it really too much and too big for what started as a small chocolate store in an Israeli town. Today, this dream came true."

And now, at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, perhaps the largest and most famous shopping mall of Vegas and one of the largest in the U.S., a center which sees more than 20 million visitors a year, opposite the new and largest H&M store in the U.S., and alongside brands such as Apple, Armani and Hugo Boss - we opened our very own Max Brenner chocolate bar:

A two-story restaurant and chocolate shop spread over 1,000 SQM, with 280 seats, a full bar that offers a menu with a special chocolate martini launched at the Vegas branch, a chocolate and gift shop, two rooms for private events, a takeout bar built at the patio of the restaurant, and 200 employees who serve the diners.

This new branch joins 31 MB chain branches worldwide: two in the U.S., 19 in Australia, two in the Philippines, two in Singapore and six in Israel.

The new branch was inaugurated at a Chocolate Breaking Ceremony attended by Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Ofra Strauss, Chairperson of Strauss Group, Giora Bar Dea, CEO of Strauss North America and Oded Brenner, founder of the Max Brenner chain. The branch sparked intensive media interest in the U.S., and two days after its opening ceremony already hosted many visitors who enjoyed the chocolate experience of Max Brenner.

About Strauss:

Strauss Group, Israel's second-largest Food & Beverage Company, is today an international corporation with around 13,000 global employees operating twenty two production sites in twenty countries. In the last six years, the Group has consistently achieved growth, generating around $1.62 Billion in turnover at the end of 2009, of which 47% came from international activities. The Strauss Group is comprised of four core business units: Strauss Israel, Strauss Coffee, Strauss North America and Strauss Water.

The Group is a leading player in coffee markets in Central and Eastern Europe, Brazil and Israel for Roast & Ground (R&G) coffee and other coffee related products and services. Strauss Group is traded on the Tel Aviv 25 Index, which lists the largest public companies in Israel and has achieved a top AA+ credit rating from Maalot, an affiliation of Standard and Poor's. Strauss Group is in partnership with leading multinationals Danone and PepsiCo; and Strauss Coffee recently entered into a partnership with TPG Capital, a leading private equity fund.

    To visit at our website: http://www.strauss-group.com/

    For additional information:

    Media Contact                        Investors Contact
    Osnat Golan                          Yaffa Cohen-Ifrah
    Corporate Communications Director    Director of Investor Relations
    Strauss Group Ltd.                   Strauss Group Ltd.
    Tel +972-3-6752281                   Tel +972-3-6752545
    Mob +972-52-8288111                  Mob +972-54-5772195
    Email:                               Email:
    [email protected]        [email protected]
    http://www.strauss-group.com         http://www.strauss-group.com

SOURCE Strauss Group Ltd