AFC Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq: AFCE), the franchisor and operator of Church's Chicken(TM), Popeyes® Chicken & Biscuits, Cinnabon®, Seattle's Best Coffee® and Torrefazione Italia®, placed third in the category of Best Company for Blacks and 44th overall as one of Fortune Magazine's America's 50 Best Companies for Minorities (www.fortune.diversity.com ). AFC, appearing for the first time on the list, joined corporate giants such as Ford Motor Co., UPS, BellSouth and Avon Products. Rankings on the list were the result of 15 different qualitative and quantitative measures including how well minorities were paid, how many were in management, suppliers chosen by the company and charities in which it participates.

"Inclusion on this list marks another significant milestone for AFC,'' said Frank Belatti, chairman and chief executive officer of AFC Enterprises. "Since 1993, we have promoted diversity through our New Age of Opportunity® program which ensures that all people involved in AFC have an opportunity to develop their professional skills and meet their career objectives. We are committed to inclusion in all facets of our business. It is critical to our growth and success and is one of our key competitive advantages.''

AFC's New Age of Opportunity program (http://www.afce.com/newage/index.html ) focuses on the following four areas:

Expanding franchise ownership opportunities for minorities and women;

Cultivating new supplier relationships for minorities and women;

Attracting and developing outstanding employees; and

Enhancing the quality of life for people through meaningful community service.

Reflective of AFC's corporate culture, in 2000, minorities represented a total of 28.4 percent of its total workforce, 10 percent of its board, 12.1 percent of corporate officers, 18 percent of top paid employees, and 22.4 percent officials and managers. Women represented 48.4 percent of the company's total workforce, 25.7 percent of its corporate officers, 24 percent of top paid employees, and 33.4 percent officials and managers. Currently, women and minorities make up a total of 36 percent of AFC's board.

"AFC isn't just accepting diversity; we're embracing it. It has been a cornerstone of AFC, and we will continue to seek new ways to apply diversity to achieve future successes across all our businesses,'' said Belatti.

Another attribute of AFC's corporate culture is its community relations with a primary focus on housing and education. Examples of programs in which it participates include Habitat for Humanity, Multi-Cultural Foodservice Alliance, United Negro College Fund, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the Black Leadership Forum, The Carter Center and Women's Food Service Forum.