CHARLOTTE, NC--(Marketwire - Mar 15, 2012) - [ Chanticleer Holdings, Inc. ] (OTCBB: [ CCLR ]) ("Chanticleer" or the "Company"), a business operator focused on expanding the [ Hooters ] casual dining restaurant brand in international markets, today announced it has secured exclusive rights to operate Hooters restaurants in 3 of the most populated states of Brazil. The Company has partnered with the Nash Group, an established restaurant operating company, forming a joint venture company Chanticleer & Nash Brasil Foods Participações Ltda. ("CNBF"), where Chanticleer will own 60% of the operating entity. The group expects to open its first restaurant in the 3^rd quarter 2012.

The franchise agreement, signed with CNBF and Hooters of America ("HOA") on March 13, 2012, provides CNBF exclusive rights to open and operate Hooters restaurants in 3 states, including Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo, over the next 20 years.

"This is another tremendous milestone for the Hooters brand," said Terry Marks, Chief Executive Officer of Hooters of America. "Over the past 2 decades, millions of consumers have become loyal Hooters fans. Latin America is very important to us, and with over 190 million people and the 6^th-largest economy in the world, Brazil is a particularly attractive market to open new restaurants. Chanticleer and Nash Group are the ideal partners to launch a successful expansion."

The Company has chosen Nash Group as its operating partner in Brazil. Nash Group, which has development rights to the São Paulo state and currently owns and operates the existing São Paulo Hooters location, has assembled an experienced restaurant team. Nash Group, along with Chanticleer, will be responsible for all aspects with respect to restaurant development and day-to-day operations. "We are excited to be Chanticleer's exclusive partner in Brazil," began Marcel Gholmieh, Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer of the Nash Group. "With a rapidly expanding consumer base and two major global sporting events on the horizon -- the World Cup in 2014 and the Summer Olympics in 2016 -- the timing of the Hooters expansion in Brazil could not be better."

"We selected the Nash Group as our partner in Brazil because they are proven operators with a great history of success in Brazil. We look forward to leveraging their more than 8 years of brand knowledge and the success of their existing store in São Paulo to execute our growth strategy for Hooters throughout Brazil," concluded Michael Pruitt, Chief Executive Officer of Chanticleer Holdings.

About Chanticleer Holdings, Inc.

Chanticleer Holdings was formed in 2005 as a business development company and converted to an operating holding company in 2008.

In 2011, Chanticleer and a group of noteworthy private equity investors, which included H.I.G. Capital, KarpReilly, LLC and Kelly Hall, president of Texas Wings Inc., the largest Hooters franchisee in the United States, acquired Hooters of America (HOA). Today, HOA is the franchisor and operator of over 430 Hooters restaurants in 44 states and 27 foreign countries. Chanticleer currently has rights to develop and operate restaurants in South Africa and is joint venturing with the current franchisee in Australia, while evaluating several additional opportunities. In addition to Chanticleer maintaining its ownership stake in HOA, its CEO, Mike Pruitt, is also a member of HOA's Board of Directors. For further information, please visit [ www.chanticleerholdings.com ] or [ www.hooters.com ] and follow us on Twitter at [ @ChantHoldings ] or [ @Hooters ].

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