Privately held hospitality and food service company Delaware North Companies announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire a majority interest in Patina Restaurant Group. Patina Restaurant Group operates restaurants and manages catering and food service operations at high-profile venues in New York, California, Las Vegas and Orlando and is currently majority owned by Shidax Corp., a publicly traded Japanese foodservice company.  Following the closing of the acquisition, Shidax will continue to own a minority interest in Patina Restaurant Group. Subject to customary conditions, the acquisition is expected to close at the end of the first quarter of 2014. On the West Coast the Patina portfolio includes the Patina Restaurant in the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Nick & Stef's Steakhouse, Cafe Pinot at the Maguire Gardens, Catal and three other restaurants in Anaheim's Downtown Disney District, Leatherby's Cafe Rouge at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Hollywood Bowl, Pinot Brasserie in Las Vegas and catering and food service in museums and cultural centers throughout California. On the East Coast, the portfolio consists of the Lincoln Ristorante at Lincoln Center, New York City's Rockefeller Center Ice Rink, Rock Center Cafe, The Sea Grill, Brasserie, Cafe Centro, Naples 45, The Grand Tier Restaurant at the Metropolitan Opera and La Fonda Del Sol. Other East Coast properties include Tutto Italia Ristorante at the Epcot World Showcase in Orlando, Florida. Patina Catering also has a loyal and longstanding clientele along with several well known annual events including the ­Emmy Awards, Los Angeles Philharmonic gala and the Heal the Bay Benefit dinner and is the exclusive caterer for some of the performing arts and cultural centers in Los Angeles, Orange County and San Francisco. Jeremy Jacobs Jr., principal, Delaware North Companies noted that CEO Nick Valenti and Founder/Chef Joachim Splichal have built an exceptional company focused on culinary excellence and outstanding service and will remain in their current positions at Patina Restaurant Group, providing continued leadership and innovation to Patina and now also applying their experience and knowledge across Delaware North's portfolio. Almost 100 years old, the Delaware North Companies’ family of companies includes Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, Delaware North Companies Gaming & Entertainment, Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services, Delaware North Companies Sportservice, Delaware North Companies International and Delaware North Companies Boston, owner of TD Garden. Through these companies, Delaware North manages and provides food and beverage concessions, premium dining, entertainment, lodging, and retail at many large venues and special places.

Delaware North Companies Inc. , 40 Fountain Plaza, Buffalo, New York 14202 (716/858-5000 www.delawarenorth.com)

Patina Restaurant Group LLC, 1150 South Olive St., Suite TGL25, Los Angeles, California 90015 (866/972-8462 www.patinagroup.com)

Shidax Corp., Shibuya Shidax Village, 1-12-13, Jinnan, Shibuya-Ku, TKY 150-0041 (+81-3-57848881 www.shidax.co.jp)