“The Restaurant” offers a behind-the-scenes look at rising star chef Rocco DiSpirito as he grapples with the issues surrounding his attempt to fulfill his lifelong dream of creating, launching and operating his own Manhattan eatery. The six-episode series is executive-produced by Mark Burnett of Mark Burnett Productions, Reveille's Ben Silverman and Magna Global Entertainment's Robert Riesenberg.

As a sponsor, OPEN: The Small Business Network(SM) from American Express will launch an integrated marketing campaign that includes television and radio advertising featuring Rocco DiSpirito and a website (www.openrocco.com) where he will chronicle his experiences as a business owner and engage in a dialogue with other business owners. In addition, Rocco DiSpirito will be shown during the series using the products, tools and services provided by the OPEN Network as he manages his business.

“This is American Express's first television sponsorship involving branded content integration, and I think it's exciting that the country will get to see firsthand what it's like for an entrepreneur to create and launch a new business,” said Kerry Hatch, executive vice president and general manager of OPEN: The Small Business Network from American Express. “Running a small business is the ultimate reality show, and many of the issues that Rocco DiSpirito faces in starting up his restaurant are similar to the daily challenges that many business owners and their employees face.”

“American Express has been catering to the needs of small business owners for more than fifteen years, and the OPEN Network's sponsorship of ‘The Restaurant' is a very natural extension of their mission and goals in serving business owners,” added Robert Riesenberg, executive vice president and director of Magna Global Entertainment, one of the program's producers. “The OPEN Network's sponsorship of ‘The Restaurant' makes sense for American Express and for the show.”

Marketing Campaign Highlights Rocco DiSpirito as a Business Owner
As part of its sponsorship and support of “The Restaurant,” OPEN: The Small Business Network will launch a multi-channel, integrated marketing campaign that includes the following elements:

• New Advertising Campaign – The OPEN Network's “Restaurant” advertising campaign, created by New York-based Ogilvy & Mather, will feature Rocco DiSpirito. Aimed at reaching business owners, the campaign includes national television spots that will break during the series premiere and air during the show throughout the run of the series. In addition, the ads will run during morning and prime time programming in the New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and San Francisco markets.

The campaign also includes radio spots featuring DiSpirito and will run during morning and evening drive times and throughout the day in the New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and San Francisco markets.

• Online Business Forum – The OPEN Network will also launch on July 21st a special website for business owners. The site (www.openrocco.com) will feature Rocco DiSpirito's web-log or “blog” that chronicles some of the business challenges he has faced while launching his restaurant. DiSpirito will also engage other business owners in a dialogue and invite them to submit web postings about their thoughts or experiences with similar business issues.
   
• Product Integration – As an American Express Business Cardmember since 1999, Rocco DiSpirito and his team during the series will be shown using the tools and services of the OPEN Network to help manage the business.

“In addition to being a celebrity chef, Rocco DiSpirito is a business owner,” added Hatch. “There are millions of small business owners in this country who employ tens of millions of people, and I believe many viewers of ‘The Restaurant' will appreciate and identify with the ups and downs of running or working at a small business.”

About OPEN: The Small Business Network from American Express
OPEN: The Small Business Network is the dedicated division of American Express that offers small business owners a wide range of tools, services and savings designed to meet their evolving needs. This includes charge and credit cards, convenient access to working capital and credit information, enhanced online account management capabilities and savings on business purchases and business services from an enhanced lineup of partners.

American Express Company is a diversified worldwide travel, financial and network services company founded in 1850. It is a world leader in charge and credit cards, Travelers Cheques, travel, financial planning, business services, insurance and international banking.

American Express has been serving the needs of small business since 1987, when it introduced the first-ever charge card specifically designed for small business owners. Since then, American Express has expanded its product set to include credit cards, loans, lines of credit and equipment leases.

In January 2002, American Express deepened its commitment to small business owners with the launch of OPEN: The Small Business Network from American Express. The OPEN Network is a unique resource for business owners and offers an enhanced range of products, tools, services, savings and rewards to better assist business owners manage cash flow.

The OPEN Network's comprehensive menu of products, benefits and services is divided into three broad categories:

Cash Flow Managment

Financial Products
The OPEN Network offers a wide variety of financial products to help them manage cash flow, including charge cards, credit cards, lines of credit, equipment leases and loans. In addition, the OPEN Network offers lines of credit through the U.S. Small Business Administration “SBAExpress” program.

Account Management Tools
The OPEN Network offers several online tools designed to assist business owners in managing cash flow. For example, the online Small Business Dashboard provides cardmembers with a single screen view of all their accounts and also enables business owners to quickly and easily assess the status of their accounts. In addition, Electronic Management Reports enable customers to quickly customize, view and analyze all of the spending on their Card or their supplementary Card accounts.

Small Business Rewards and Savings

Membership Rewards® Program
Though the Membership Rewards program, American Express Business Cardmembers can earn one point for virtually every dollar charged on eligible, enrolled American Express Cards. Points are then redeemable in a wide selection of rewards categories including travel, retail merchandise, shopping and recreation gift certificates, entertainment and experiences and charity rewards.

Savings on Everyday Business Spending
Everyday Savings is an exclusive benefit of the OPEN Network that provides ongoing savings on everyday business expenses at recognized brands like DellTM, Cingular Wireless, FedEx®, Hertz, The Hilton® Family of Hotels, Kinko's®, Nextel Communications and Staples. In most cases, the savings occur automatically when small businesses use the American Express Business Card.

Informed Decisions

The OPEN Network has several free, online resources available to all business owners:

Through the unique OPEN Dialogue community, business owners can learn from their peers and assist others navigate the challenging road to entrepreneurial success. OPEN Dialogue is a free, online discussion forum for all business owners on topics ranging from tax planning to hiring staff to marketing and sales. Registered members may also choose to join specific discussion categories to have more relevant discussions directed to them.

For another perspective on answers to business questions, entrepreneurs can also turn to Ask the Advisor, the OPEN Network's expert advice section. OPEN Network Small Business Advisor Alice Bredin posts responses weekly and archives advice for upstarts and seasoned business owners alike.

The OPEN Network's vast library of articles provides access to relevant and helpful information about a variety of issues small businesses face each day. Interactive quizzes and other tools help business owners make more informed decisions about everything from doing business online to planning a vacation.

To find out more about the OPEN Network's range of services, charge card and credit card products, as well as our working capital leases and lines of credit, click here or call 1-800-NOW-OPEN.