Electrolyte-Rich Bottled Water Delivers Great Taste, Purity & Performance

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii (February 10, 2016) – Kona Deep^TM, the Hawaii-based bottled water company, will launch its namesake brand in the continental United States beginning in March. Already widely distributed in its hometown state of Hawaii, the introduction signals the creation of a new category: deep ocean drinking water. The naturally electrolyte-rich bottled water, which delivers an extraordinary taste and hydration experience, will initially be distributed throughout the natural, grocery and specialty retail channels in the Western United States. Later this year, Kona Deep will expand its distribution throughout the rest of the country.

Until now, consumers had to choose between spring water and highly processed, functional purified waters with artificially added electrolytes. With Kona Deep, bottled water drinkers no longer have to choose between purity and performance. The new brand offers both – the purity of a trusted, natural source with nothing artificial, nothing added and the hydration benefits of electrolytes. A new study that’s currently underway at the University of Arizona, which seeks to evaluate the impact of post-exercise hydration with deep ocean mineral water on exercise performance, rehydration and recovery, may further strengthen this connection.

Kona Deep comes from melted glacial water, which sunk to the ocean floor more than 1,000 years ago, creating a deep ocean current that still flows today. This infinitely renewable source absorbs naturally occurring electrolytes and minerals along its journey across the ocean floor and along volcanic fissures, which are crucial for hydration and body balance.

While deep ocean water is difficult to access, the coast of Kona, Hawaii, provides an ideal location to source and bottle the water because the ocean floor falls sharply to more than 3,000 feet below the surface. At this depth, near-freezing cold and prolonged darkness create a pure water that is protected from light and surface ocean water. Once brought to the surface, the water is desalinated and bottled at the source with a total dissolved solids (TDS) content of 250, the perfect balance of performance and taste. During the process, nothing is added.

Kona Deep Chief Executive Officer Patrick Turpin, co-founder of Popchips^TM – the innovative and wildly popular better for you snack – looks forward to sharing the unique benefits of deep ocean water.

“Kona Deep is a great option for those who want their water to work harder, naturally,” said Turpin. “We’re giving people who want more from their bottled water a reason to rethink their choice.”

While Hawaii was a natural first place to launch, Turpin is setting his sights on growing this brand across the continental U.S., where premium bottle water sales have skyrocketed more than 300% over the past five years.[1]

“Deep ocean water is a billion dollar category in Asia, but this is still very much a new category of bottled water in the U.S.,” Turpin added.

The new brand has also teamed up with world-class professional surfer and Hawaii-native Malia Manuel, as well as Arizona-based hurdler and Olympic hopeful Georganne Moline, as brand ambassadors. Both women represent a generation of consumers who want more from their bottled water and value natural products.

Kona Deep is now available in Hawaii in grocery stores, convenience stores, natural stores, and military exchanges in 500mL and 1L bottles. Consumers can purchase Kona Deep in store or online at www.amazon.com.

For more information, and a full list of retail locations, please visit www.konadeep.com and follow the brand on Twitter and @KonaDeep

About Kona Deep^TM

Kona Deep is a deeply refreshing and restoring water with a unique balance of naturally occurring deep ocean electrolytes essential to life and health. Kona Deep comes from the ocean waters of Hawaii, over 3,000 feet below the surface where cold, pressure and darkness combine to create an exceptionally high quality water. We utilize a unique method to bring the water to the surface to offer you an extraordinary taste and hydration experience. In the process, we add nothing.

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[1] Beverage Digest 2015 Fact Book

Brooklyn-Inspired North Shore Neighborhood Bistro Builds on its Success

Wilmette, Ill. (February 11, 2016) – Firefly Kitchen, the Brooklyn-inspired upscale neighborhood bistro, announced today that it will begin serving lunch, in addition to dinner and weekend brunch. Since opening last July, Firefly has made its mark on the North Shore dining and drinking scene. The new lunch menu will feature Contemporary American cuisine, Wednesday through Saturday from 11:00 am – 2:30 pm.

Diners can expect the same creative culinary approach to lunch from New York native and veteran chef, Dean Salerno, who brings a “Taste of Brooklyn” to Chicago’s North Shore. The menu includes imaginative items like the Stacked Chicken Caesar, which features a trio of lettuce and two distinct preparations of freshly cut chicken, lightly drizzled with Caesar dressing and black pepper, and garnished with anchovies and three-cheese stuffed croutons.

For guests who want to go beyond the green, the ‘Bread and Bun’ portion of the menu gives diners a diverse selection of sandwich options from both land and sea. The BBQ Short Rib Sliders are a classic comfort dish, stacked high with slow cooked boneless meat and topped with slaw, for a smoky and spicy treat. The Tuna Burger showcases ‘sushi grade’ fish, topped with wasabi mayo and wakame salad.

“Our new lunch menu gives guests simple and delicious lunch options,” says Salerno. “Rather than reinvent the wheel, we’re presenting quality dishes with a twist.”

The new menu also features Firefly favorites currently found on the dinner menu, like the Chopped Salad, Salerno Burger and Housecut French Fries with Duck Fat Parmesan & Herbs. Full bar service will be available during lunch, featuring an extensive cocktail and wine list, expertly curated by James Pierce, former head of The Bar at The Peninsula Chicago.

Firefly Kitchen’s food and bar menu is also available for takeout. 2016 also marks the fourth year of operation for Firefly Events and Catering, which offers broad scope services ranging from a “Ravinia Basket” (complete with wine and beer selections) to black tie galas.

Firefly Kitchen is located at 111 Green Bay Road, on the border of Wilmette and Evanston. The restaurant is just steps away from Metra’s Central Street Station. It delivers a welcoming 60-seat, whimsically lit and modern vintage setting, and a 35-seat outdoor patio that serves as the perfect spot for a relaxing brunch or lunch, or intimate dinner.

For more information about Firefly Kitchen and to make a reservation, visit FFKitchen.com and www.OpenTable.com. “Like” Firefly Kitchen on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FireflyKitchen and follow the Company on Twitter and Instagram @Firefly_Kitchen

About Firefly Kitchen

Firefly Kitchen is a neighborhood and destination bistro led by NYC-native and veteran chef Dean Salerno, who aims to bring a “Taste of Brooklyn” to Chicago’s North Shore. The bistro offers upscale, comfort food in a glowing and vibrant bistro setting, along with a carefully curated cocktail and wine program led by James Pierce, former head of The Bar at The Peninsula Chicago. Firefly Kitchen brings an unpretentious approach to bistro food for every guest in a modern vintage style.

Hours of Operation

Sun; Tue – Thurs. dinner: 5 p.m. – 12 a.m.

Wed. – Sat. lunch: 11:00 am – 2:30 pm

Fri., Sat. dinner, 5 p.m. – 1 a.m.

Sun. brunch: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Mon: closed

About Firefly Events and Catering

Firefly Events & Catering specializes in creating elegant, memorable, and illuminating experiences. Whether a wedding, corporate event, or any other special occasion, we are dedicated to providing impeccable service and carefully handcrafted cuisine in beautiful, timeless settings.

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Comprehensive Shopping Experience Puts Attendees Face-to-Face with Local & Regional Home and Remodeling Experts; Welcomes HGTV’s Expert Craftsman Chip Wade

Chicago (Jan. 14, 2016) – The Ideal Home Show Chicago, presented by Uncle Bob’s Self Storage, moves to Navy Pier (600 E. Grand Ave.) for its second installment, from January 29-31, 2016. The new location will provide an experiential marketplace for attendees looking to purchase, remodel or renovate their homes. Guests will also have the opportunity to meet local and regional experts offering innovative products, inspiring ideas, helpful tips and fantastic deals.

The three day showcase – the only home show in the city of Chicago – will feature nearly 200 vendors from Chicagoland and beyond, eager to demonstrate their new products, and to offer advice and insight on remodeling, design, home improvement and spring outdoor projects. 2016 exhibitors range from INES Design and Remodeling, specializing in custom office, kitchen and bath remodeling, to Windy City Skylights, Chicago’s family-owned skylight specialist, Artistic Visions Lighting, Indiana’s outdoor lighting landscapers launching a new product at the Show, and Kapital Electric, Bensenville’s renewable energy company offering smart home solutions, all under one roof.

Highlights include:

• HGTV’s Chip Wade, host, designer and contractor of the upcoming series, “Elbow Room,” presenting Friday at 2 pm, and Saturday at 12 and 2 pm, about “The Art of Amazing Space – 10 Years of TV Makeovers,” followed by Q&A and an autograph session (Ideal Main Stage)
• Food Network’s Sandwich King, Jeff Mauro, visiting his Chicago restaurant, Pork and Mindy’s, booth for meet-and-greet opportunities Friday from 3-5 pm
• Bob Wright, relationship expert and co-founder of non-profit organization The Wright Foundation for the Realization of Human Potential, presenting advice and insight for couples on Sunday at 12 pm about building a solid foundation for both your relationship and home rehab, followed by Q&A and book signing. His new book, “The Heart of the Fight,” which releases in stores Feb. 1, 2016, will be available for purchase at the show at a discounted price of $13.50 (Ideal Main Stage)
• Solid Build, supplier of small outdoor shed kits, featuring its fully constructed Bristol Garden Shed set up on the show’s main floor
• VizX Designs, Naperville’s 3D landscape design firm, presenting outdoor living tips and 3-D replicas (Ideal Main Stage)

“We’re excited to build upon the success of our inaugural year, and to showcase new and exciting experts and vendors in our new location at Navy Pier,” said Jessica Boweak, the Show’s manager. “Now is the perfect time for existing and future home owners to start thinking ahead to their spring and summer projects. Attendees to this year’s show will get to shop, compare and save, and take advantage of seminars and specials they won’t find anywhere else.”

Tickets are $10 at the door, $7 online for adults, and also $7 for Seniors 65+ with a valid ID at the show box office. Children 12 and under are free.

When buying tickets online, attendees have the option to donate $1 to Habitat for Humanity, the Show’s official charity partner, which will have an interactive booth at the Show, where guests can make magnets using tile. There will also be the option to sign up for the Fun Friday Night Painting Party, which includes a canvas, guidance from international artist Derin Baraka, wine provided by Naperville’s PRP Wine International, and two tickets to the Ideal Home Show Chicago, for $20.

The hours for the Ideal Home Show Chicago are:

• Friday, January 29, 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Saturday, January 30, 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
• Sunday, January 31, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

The Show will take place at Navy Pier in Festival Hall B, with parking conveniently located right beneath the showroom. Attendees will save $2 on Navy Pier parking, and new SpotHero users can save $5 using code IDEALHOME.

For more information, including a full stage schedule, visit idealhomeshowchicago.com. Follow Ideal Home Show Chicago for show updates and helpful home tips on Facebook and Twitter, and engage using hashtag #idealhomeshows.

About Ideal Home Show Chicago

Ideal Home Show Chicago offers consumers a comprehensive, face-to-face shopping opportunity, connecting new and existing home owners with companies offering home improvement, remodeling and décor, and outdoor living products, services and expert advice, to help them create the ideal home and life year round.

Chicago (January 13, 2016) – Pastoral’s Appellation, the new 75-seat wine bar and restaurant that offers guests food and wine with a sense of place, and which is an extension of the retail store at 5212 N. Clark Street in Andersonville, will officially open for weekend brunch beginning Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 16 – 17. Additionally, Pastoral Andersonville will be Pastoral’s first location to offer morning counter service breakfast – the only one of its four locations to do so. To coincide with its brunch and retail breakfast launch, Pastoral Andersonville will also debut its second seasonal art exhibition within the dining area.

Appellation Wine Bar & Restaurant’s Inaugural Brunch Menu

Appellation’s lively new brunch will offer guests a simple, authentic approach to brunch food and libations. The menu was created by Chef Jesse Williams, who attended the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. As the former head chef of Birchwood Kitchen, and an Uncommon Ground and Floriole veteran, Chef Jesse has applied her successful brunch experience to create a menu featuring a range of rustic and creative cuisine that focuses primarily on high-quality, seasonal ingredients accented by the cheeses Pastoral has championed for more than 10 years. Table service will include signature dishes such as Baked French Toast, Eggs Baked in a squash-herb cream sauce with Prosciutto, Steak and Eggs and a Warm Mushroom & Kale Salad. The brunch menu will be accompanied by libations from Appellation/Pastoral’s acclaimed wine buyer and educator, Mark Wrobel.

Introducing Pastoral Andersonville’s Early Morning Counter Service

Pastoral Andersonville will be the hometown cheese shop’s only location to offer weekday counter service breakfast, debuting Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 7 a.m. The casual, European-style breakfast will feature Counter Culture coffee, Rishi tea, Katherine Anne drinking chocolate and high quality sweet and savory pastries from Evanston’s Hewn Bakery, as recently featured in The New York Times. Additionally, Appellation’s Chef Jesse will provide Pastoral Andersonville retail with delicious specialty toasts, house-made granola with yogurt and other treats available for a morning nosh. Counter service breakfast items are available for takeaway, or guests may enjoy breakfast at one of the wooden café tables in the Appellation space or the standing bar area near the retail space. There will be no table or bar service.

“We’re thrilled to expand our offering with weekend brunch and weekday breakfast counter service,” said Greg O’Neill, co-owner/co-founder of Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine. “Chef Jesse is renowned for her brunch dishes and will make Appellation a fun and delicious addition to the morning scene in Andersonville.” 

New Winter Art Exhibit

Pastoral is committed to showcasing unique and inspired works from local artists, which rotate seasonally. To coincide with the launch of Appellation’s brunch, Pastoral will unveil its second seasonal art exhibit on Monday, Jan. 18, featuring colorful paintings from talented Andersonville artist Robert Porazinski that are also available for purchase. Pastoral will host a public art opening of his new series of paintings entitled “Interruptions” with a free cheese and wine reception that evening from 6 – 8 p.m. The current exhibit will be featured through mid April.

A graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Porazinski worked as an illustrator and designer for a variety of clients including the Museum of Science and Industry, Illinois State Lottery and the Chicago Tribune. Concurrently, he continued to paint and exhibit his work at a variety of venues such as the University Club, Harold Washington Library, and Evanston Art Center. His most recent paintings investigate the tradition of hard-edge painting from the late 60’s and explore the mutability of form.

Hours and Offerings

Beginning Jan. 16 and 17, Appellation Wine Bar & Restaurant will offer weekend brunch, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Starting Jan. 19, Pastoral Andersonville will open at 7 a.m. on weekdays for counter service breakfast. The shop will open at 9 a.m. on Sat. and Sun. to coincide with the start of brunch at Appellation Wine Bar & Restaurant.

For more information, please visit pastoralartisan.com or call Pastoral at 800.721.4781. Appellation accepts online reservations at www.AppellationChicago.com or by calling 773.358.7181. Visit and “Like” Appellation on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AppellationChicago

About Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine

Founded in 2004 by Ken Miller and Greg O’Neill, Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine is a series of national award-winning neighborhood cheese, specialty food and wine shops offering the highest quality, cut-to-order domestic and international specialty cheeses, freshly baked breads, perfectly chosen accompaniments and small production wines, along with hand-crafted, cheese-loving beers and spirits. Pastoral also offers custom gift collections, gourmet sandwiches and salads, picnics and catering. Pastoral is committed to providing the highest level of service and education for customers, striving to make shopping for and consuming artisan goods enlightening, approachable, fun and delicious. Pastoral welcomes customers at four Chicago neighborhood locations, and ships nationwide at www.pastoralartisan.com. Pastoral was named “Outstanding Retailer of the Year” in 2007 and 2012 by the Specialty Food Association. In 2012, the Company opened Bar Pastoral, an award winning, Michelin Guide recommended cheese & wine bistro serving shareable fare, in a cozy, inviting neighborhood setting.

About Appellation

Launched in October 2015, Appellation is a 75-seat bistro serving food and wine with a sense of place. Led by Chef Jesse Williams and featuring a menu of approachable and rustic dishes, Appellation encourages guests to sip and savor appetizers, entrees, and other shareable plates featuring the fine cheese and wine offered in Pastoral’s retail locations. Appellation serves lunch and dinner during the week, as well as brunch and dinner on weekends. For more information, follow Appellation on Twitter @AppellationChi, and like the wine bar and restaurant on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/AppellationChicago

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Deep Ocean Drinking Water Sourced 3,000 Feet Off the Coast of Hawaii Delivers Same Great Taste, Purity & Performance

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – (December 19, 2015) – Kona Deep^TM, the Hawaii-based bottled water company founded by area locals in 2006, will soon be back on retail shelves across the state. Due to increased consumer demand for premium bottled water with natural benefits, Kona Deep executives felt now was the time to fully embrace and share this special untapped natural resource of deep ocean water.

“In the early days, we were more focused on exporting to Asia where the benefits of deep ocean water are well known,” said Mark Mukai, board member and major investor in Kona Deep. “Now, we’ve enlisted a leadership team with proven brand building experience and a skilled local distribution team in Johnson Brothers of Hawaii, Inc., with the goal to create the leading North American brand of this new deep ocean water category. Our water has always been exceptional and naturally delivers functional benefits that other beverages don’t have – a deep hydration you can feel and a refreshing taste that can only come from Kona Deep. I’m incredibly excited to introduce this new campaign in our home state of Hawaii.”

Until now, consumers had to choose between spring water and highly processed, functional purified waters with artificially added electrolytes. With Kona Deep, bottled water drinkers no longer have to choose between purity and performance. The new brand offers both – the purity of a trusted, natural source with nothing artificial, nothing added and the hydration benefits of electrolytes. A new study that’s currently underway at the University of Arizona, which seeks to evaluate the impact of post-exercise hydration with deep ocean mineral water on exercise performance, rehydration and recovery, may further strengthen this connection.

Kona Deep comes from melted glacial water, which sunk to the ocean floor more than 1,000 years ago, creating a deep ocean current that still flows today. This infinitely renewable source absorbs naturally occurring electrolytes and minerals along its journey across the ocean floor and along volcanic fissures, which are crucial for hydration and body balance.

While deep ocean water is difficult to access, the coast of Kona, Hawaii, provides an ideal location to source and bottle the water because the ocean floor falls sharply to more than 3,000 feet below the surface. At this depth, near-freezing cold and prolonged darkness create a pure water that is protected from light and surface ocean water. Once brought to the surface, the water is desalinated and bottled at the source with a total dissolved solids (TDS) content of 250, the perfect balance of performance and taste. During the process, nothing is added.

Kona Deep Chief Executive Officer Patrick Turpin, the co-founder of Popchips^TM – the innovative and wildly popular all natural snack – looks forward to enlightening and educating people about the benefits of deep ocean drinking water.

“Kona Deep is a great option for those who want their water to work harder, naturally,” said Turpin. “We’re giving people who want more from their bottled water a reason to rethink their choice.”

All operations for the brand, including sourcing and bottling, will take place locally. As the brand grows in Hawaii and beyond, so too does the potential to add new jobs. And while Hawaii is a natural first place to launch, Turpin is setting his sights on growing this brand across the U.S., where premium bottle water sales have skyrocketed +315% over the past five years.[1]

“Deep ocean drinking water is a billion dollar category in Asia, but this is still very much a new category of bottled water in the U.S.,” Turpin added.

“We’ve had a strong acceptance rate among retailers for Kona Deep,” said Pat McGuirk, Director of Non-Alcoholic Beverages, Johnson Brothers of Hawaii. “They love the local connection, the smooth, pure taste and the natural benefits deep ocean drinking water provides. They’re excited to see the brand back on shelves in Hawaii.”

Kona Deep is now available at a variety of local Hawaiian retailers, including grocery stores such as Foodland and KTA, convenience stores like Minit Stop, natural stores, such as Down to Earth, and military exchanges like AAFES, in 500mL and 1L bottles. Consumers can also purchase 24-bottle cases of Kona Deep in store or online at www.amazon.com. The brand will begin to roll out into other mainland U.S. markets later this month.

For more information, and a full list of retail locations, please visit www.konadeep.com and follow the brand on Twitter and @KonaDeep

About Kona Deep^TM

Kona Deep is a deeply refreshing and restoring water with a unique balance of naturally occurring deep ocean electrolytes essential to life and health. Kona Deep comes from the ocean waters of Hawaii, over 3,000 feet below the surface where cold, pressure and darkness combine to create an exceptionally high quality water. We utilize a unique method to bring the water to the surface to offer you an extraordinary taste and hydration experience. In the process, we add nothing.

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[1] Beverage Digest 2015 Fact Book