The Keg Royalties Income Fund Announces Increase to Royalty Pool

January16, 2012
The Keg Royalties Income Fund Announces Increase to Royalty Pool

Vancouver, BC - January 16, 2012 - The Keg Royalties Income Fund (the "Fund") (TSX:KEG.UN) and Keg Restaurants Ltd. ("KRL") are pleased to announce that as of     January 1, 2012, the gross sales of two new Keg restaurants, opened during the period October 3, 2010 through October 2, 2011, will be added to the royalty pool (the "Royalty Pool") on which the Fund earns royalty revenue. The Royalty Pool will receive an estimated increase in net gross sales of $1.4 million annually due to the addition of $9.4 million in estimated annual gross sales from the two new restaurants, less $8.0 million in actual annual gross sales from two closed restaurants. The addition of these restaurants, after taking into account the two closures, will maintain the total number of restaurants in the Royalty Pool at 102.

"We are pleased with the performance of the new Kegs which will be added to the Fund's Royalty Pool," said David Aisenstat, The Keg's President and CEO. "The low number of new restaurants is the direct result of a cautious expansion strategy we adopted after the economic turmoil in 2008. We have modified our growth objectives to more optimistic levels based on the continuing enthusiastic support we have received from our guests."

The Fund indirectly owns certain trademarks, and other related intellectual property used by KRL in both the operation and franchise of its Keg restaurants in Canada and the United States. The trademarks are licensed to KRL for 99 years and in return KRL pays the Fund a top-line royalty of 4% of gross sales of Keg restaurants included in the Royalty Pool. Annually on January 1st, the Fund's Royalty Pool is adjusted to include the gross sales from new Keg restaurants that have opened on or before October 2nd of the prior year, after deducting the gross sales from any Keg restaurants that were permanently closed during the preceding calendar year. In return for adding these net sales to the Royalty Pool, KRL receives the right to indirectly acquire additional Fund units (the "Additional Entitlement"). This Additional Entitlement is determined based on 92.5% of the royalty revenue added to the Royalty Pool divided by the annual yield of the Fund units. KRL receives 80% of the estimated Additional Entitlement initially, with the balance determined and awarded when the actual full-year performance of the new restaurants is known with certainty with effect from January 1st of that year.

As a result of the January 1, 2012 contribution of the additional net sales to the Royalty Pool, and assuming receipt of 100% of the Additional Entitlement, KRL's Additional Entitlement will be the equivalent of 40,624 Fund units. This will represent 0.28% of the issued and outstanding Fund units on a fully diluted basis. These Fund units were calculated using a weighted average unit price of $12.33, which resulted in a pre-tax yield of 10.52%. The yield has been adjusted to reflect the SIFT tax now payable by the Fund. KRL will also receive a proportionate increase in monthly distributions from the Fund.

The January 1, 2011 addition of new restaurant sales to the Royalty Pool has also been finalized. The actual sales for the three new restaurants added to the Royalty Pool for the 52 weeks ended October 2, 2011 were $15.9 million, for a net sales increase of $5.6 million, approximately 1.5% more than the amount originally estimated. This resulted in KRL receiving an entitlement equivalent to 160,764 Fund units, or 7,026 Fund units more than originally estimated. Combined with the January 1, 2012 Additional Entitlement, and assuming receipt of 100% of that Additional Entitlement, KRL will hold the equivalent of 2,964,945 Fund units, representing 20.71% of the Fund units on a fully diluted basis.

Management of KRL has advised the Trustees of the Fund that it expects to open three restaurants prior to October 2, 2012, consisting of one corporate and two franchised restaurants in Canada. Management of KRL has further advised the Trustees that the scheduled opening of these new restaurants is conditional upon the timely receipt of required municipal approvals and construction permits.

Vancouver-based Keg Restaurants Ltd. is the leading operator and franchisor of steakhouse restaurants in Canada and has a substantial presence in select regional markets in the United States. KRL continues to operate The Keg restaurant system and expand that system through the addition of both corporate and franchised Keg steakhouses. Keg Restaurants Ltd. has been named one of the "50 Best Employers in Canada" by Aon Hewittfor the past ten years.

This press release may contain certain "forward looking" statements reflecting The Keg Royalties Income Fund's current expectations in the casual dining segment of the restaurant food industry. Investors are cautioned that all forward looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including those relating to the Keg's ability to continue to realize historical same store sales growth, changes in market and existing competition, new competitive developments, and potential downturns in economic conditions generally. Additional information on these and other potential factors that could affect the Fund's financial results are detailed in documents filed from time to time with the provincial securities commissions in Canada.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, which may be made only by means of the prospectus, nor shall there be any sale of the Fund units in any state, province or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any state, province or jurisdiction. The Keg Royalties Income Fund units have not been, and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an application for exemption from the registration requirement under U.S. securities laws.

The Trustees of the Fund have approved the contents of this press release.

For further information contact: 
Karyn Byrne, MBA
Investor Relations Manager
Tel: [phone]
[e-mail]