Christmas Trading Statement

Oriental Restaurant Group PLC 21 January 2000 ORIENTAL RESTAURANT GROUP PLC Christmas Trading Statement Oriental Restaurant Group plc, the London-based Oriental cuisine restaurant operator, reports on Christmas trading for the period to 31 December 1999, the opening of the Yellow River Cafe in Twickenham and two further sites for its new brand. Oriental Restaurant Group PLC ('the Group') today announces that trading over the Christmas period was satisfactory. Like for like restaurant sales excluding Pacific Oriental were down 0.5% for the nine month period to 31st December 1999 which represents a small improvement over that reported within the interim results. Like for like restaurant operating profits, excluding Pacific Oriental, were 7.5% up. Pacific Oriental continues to incur losses but remedial action taken will have a positive impact in 2000 and is already proving beneficial. The Central Production Kitchen facility which commenced operation in July remains fundamental to the roll out of the Yellow River Cafe. The impact on profits will be adverse until the benefits of scale are realised following the opening of additional Yellow River Cafes. Mainly as a result of these factors the Group will not meet market expectations for the current year. However the Board expects profits growth to resume in the next financial year. Canary Wharf opened in December too late to benefit fully from the seasonal trade. It is still too early to determine the long term trend in this location. The target opening programme for Yellow River is well underway. The first Yellow River Cafe opened in Chiswick in November and is trading well above expectations. A second Yellow River Cafe will open in Twickenham in February and the third will open in Islington by early summer. Terms have already been agreed on two further sites and the expectation is that these will become operational in the first half of the next financial year. As indicated at the interim stage, the Group expects to have a total of eight Yellow River Cafes operational by the end of the next financial year. The Board is delighted to announce that Alan Jackson has increased his time commitment to the Group and this will involve him assuming certain executive responsibilities. This will strengthen the management team at this crucial point in the Company's development. 21 January 2000 Enquiries: Oriental Restaurant Group PLC Tel: 0171 929 6868 Hock Ann Chua, Managing Director Michael Paterson, Finance Director College Hill Tel: 0171 457 2020 Matthew Smallwood Justine Warren