EXHIBIT 99.1
PRESS RELEASE

Friday May 25, 2001

NE RESTAURANT COMPANY, INC. COMMENCES TENDER OFFER AND CONSENT SOLICITATION FOR
ITS OUTSTANDING SENIOR NOTES


       MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS. NE Restaurant Company, Inc. (NERCO), the owner
and operator of Bertucci's Brick Oven Pizzeria restaurants, announced today that
it has commenced a tender offer and consent solicitation for up to $43 Million
of its outstanding $100 Million 10 3/4% Senior Notes due July 15, 2008 (the
"Notes"). The source of the consideration for the tender offer and consent is a
portion of the net proceeds received from the sale of forty Chili's Grill & Bar
and seven On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina restaurants to Brinker
International, Inc. in April 2001.

       The tender offer and the consent solicitation are subject to the terms
and conditions in the Offer to Purchase and Consent Solicitation Statement dated
May 25, 2001. The expiration date of the tender offer is 5:00 p.m., New York
City time on June 26, 2001, unless extended by NERCO. The consent solicitation
deadline is expected to be 5:00 p.m., New York City time on June 13, 2001,
subject to extension.

       The total consideration offered in the tender offer and the consent
solicitation is $705 per $1,000 principal amount of the Notes. By means of the
consent solicitation, NERCO is seeking consents from the registered holders of
the Notes ("Holders") to a proposed amendment to the Indenture relating to such
Notes. Holders will not be required to tender their Notes in order to consent to
the proposed amendment, but Holders will be required to consent to the proposed
amendment in order to tender. If all the conditions to the consent solicitation
are satisfied, Holders who deliver consents on or prior to the consent
solicitation deadline will receive a consent payment of $5 per $1,000 principal
amount of the Notes held by such Holder. The total consideration for a valid
tender and consent includes the $5 consent payment. Holders who tender their
Notes after the consent solicitation deadline will receive the total
consideration minus the consent payment.

       If the consent solicitation is successful and the tender offer is fully
accepted, NERCO's annual net interest expense will be reduced approximately $4.6
Million, and its total debt outstanding will be reduced approximately 43% to
$57.0 Million.

       The tender offer and consent solicitation are subject to certain
conditions, which may be waived by the Company. The Company reserves the right
to withdraw or modify the terms of the tender offer and consent solicitation.

       J.P. Morgan Securities, Inc. ("JP Morgan") is the Dealer Manager for the
tender offer and Solicitation Agent for the consent solicitation. Robert Berk at
JP Morgan can be reached at 800/245-8812 or 212/270-1100. Requests for
assistance or additional sets of the materials may be directed to JP Morgan or
D.F. King Co., Inc., the Information Agent for the tender offer and




consent solicitation, at 800/735-3591 (toll-free).

       This announcement is not an offer to purchase, a solicitation of an offer
to purchase or a solicitation of consents with respect to the Notes. The tender
offer and consent solicitation are being made solely by the Offer to Purchase
and Consent Solicitation Statements dated May 25, 2001.

       NERCO currently owns and operates 74 Bertucci's Brick Oven Pizzeria
restaurants featuring freshly prepared, Italian-style entrees made from original
recipes, including gourmet pizzas and specialty pasta dishes.

       The statements contained in this press release that are not historical
facts are "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined under the federal
securities laws. These forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainties and, consequently, could be affected by, among other things,
general business and economic conditions, the impact of competition, the
seasonality of the company's business, governmental regulations, and inflation.

CONTACT:  NE Restaurant Company, Inc.
          Kurt Schnaubelt   978/897-1435