Krystal Kick-Off

The quest begins on Labor Day Weekend, September 3 - 6, in Chattanooga, when fast food icon Krystal holds the inaugural Krystal Square Off® World Hamburger Eating contest series leading to the November championship event.

The winner will earn major bragging rights in the skyrocketing sport of competitive eating, donning the coveted championship belt and taking home the crystal champion’s trophy. In addition, the winner will receive the largest cash prize offered on the U.S. competitive eating circuit.

The Krystal Company, home to the famous, small, square Krystal hamburger, has boosted the total cash purse for the first Krystal Square Off® World Hamburger Eating Championship to an unrivaled $17,500, with a $10,000 cash prize to be awarded to the winner. Second place will receive $5,000, and $2,500 will go to third place.

Those vying for the grand prize package of $10,000, the champion’s belt and crystal trophy will first be put to the challenge at one of the 11 qualifying events to be held throughout the Southeast beginning September 3, 2004 in Chattanooga, Tenn., where The Krystal Company is headquartered (see below for all locations and dates). The winner of each qualifier will earn a seat at the final world championship table on Nov. 13, 2004 in Chattanooga.

The Krystal Square Off® is the first hamburger eating world championship sanctioned by the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE), the governing body for all stomach-centric sports and the organization that has transformed gustatory battles into a worldwide craze.

Information on how to participate in the Krystal Square Off® World Hamburger Eating Championship can be found at http://www.krystal.com. This is an IFOCE event and the IFOCE will handle all registration.

Krystal Square Off® World Hamburger Eating Championship Series

Chattanooga, TN Chattanooga Lookouts Baseball September 3-6

Nashville, TN Tennessee State Fair September 10-15

Knoxville, TN Tennessee Valley Fair September 17-19

Memphis, TN Mid-South Fair September 24-28

Atlanta, GA North Georgia State Fair September 30 – October 3

Macon, GA Georgia National Fair October 8-10

Montgomery, AL Alabama National Fair October 12-13

Jackson, MS Mississippi State Fair October 15-17

Mobile, AL Greater Gulf State Fair October 22-24

Birmingham, AL Sloss Fright Furnace October 29-31

Jacksonville, FL Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair November 3-7

Chattanooga, TN World Hamburger Eating Championship November 13

The Krystal Company Founded in 1932, The Krystal Company is the oldest quick service restaurant chain in the Southeast and the second oldest in the United States. Famous for its small, square burgers, which have become synonymous with Southern fast food, Krystal has emerged as one of the most successful quick service restaurants in the industry. With 24-hour operations, Krystal restaurants offer their customers one-of-a-kind menu items for breakfast, lunch, dinner, late night or snack options. The Chattanooga-based Krystal chain currently has more than 425 restaurants in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.