8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 12, 2004

RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	0-49916	84-1573084
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
6312 S Fiddler’s Green Circle, Suite 200 N Greenwood Village, CO		80111
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (303) 846-6000

Not Applicable

Former name or former address, if changed since last report

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 5.02 Departure Of Directors Or Principal Officers; Election Of Directors; Appointment Of Principal Officers

On October 12, 2004, James T. Rothe, Ph.D was appointed to the Board of Directors of the registrant to fill a newly created directorship. Dr. Rothe’s term will expire at the annual meeting of the registrant’s shareholders in 2006. A copy of a press release issued October 14, 2004 by the registrant announcing Dr. Rothe’s appointment is attached as Exhibit 99 to this Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated into this Item 5.02 by reference.

Dr. Rothe has also been appointed to the Compensation Committee of the registrant. Dr. Rothe does not have a direct or indirect material interest in any transaction with the registrant required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K. There was no arrangement or understanding between Dr. Rothe and any other person pursuant to which Dr. Rothe was elected to the Board of Directors.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits

(c) Exhibits

Exhibit Number	Description
99.1	Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., Press Release, dated October 14, 2004

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS, INC., a Delaware corporation
	By: /s/ John W. Grant
Date: October 14, 2004	Vice President and General Counsel

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Announces Selection of Dr. James Rothe to Board of Directors

Greenwood Village, CO – October 14, 2004 – Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (Nasdaq: RRGB), a casual dining restaurant chain that serves an imaginative selection of high quality gourmet burgers to America’s families, particularly women, teens and tweens, today announced that Dr. James Rothe has been appointed by the Company’s Board of Directors to fill a newly created directorship position.

Dr. Rothe has a long and distinguished career in academic circles as well as in the business world. He is currently Managing Director of Roaring Fork Capital Partners, serves as a Trustee of the Janus Funds, and is a member of the Board of Directors of Colorado Springs Technology Incubator, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation.

Prior to that, Dr. Rothe was Professor of Business and Dean, College of Business and Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Earlier positions included Associate Dean, Chairman of the Marketing Department and Professor of Marketing at the Edwin L. Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas as well as Associate and Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Dr. Rothe was also a Principal in the Phillips-Smith Specialty Retail Group, a venture capital partnership with a specialty retail and customer direct focus and served in a number of capacities at Pearle Health Services, including President of the Texas State Optical division, as well as the Pearle Vision Center division.

Dr. Rothe earned his PhD, MBA and BBA from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He has published 60+ articles on marketing strategy, entrepreneurship and retailing.

Mike Snyder, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO, said, “We are pleased to welcome James Rothe to our Board of Directors and believe his wealth of experience will make him a valuable asset to our Company.”

About Red Robin Gourmet Burgers

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers (www.redrobin.com) is a casual dining restaurant chain that serves an imaginative selection of high quality gourmet burgers to America’s families, particularly women, teens and tweens. Red Robin serves gourmet burgers in a variety of recipes with bottomless fries, as well as many other items including salads, soups, appetizers, entrees, desserts, and its signature Mad Mixology^® specialty beverages. There are more than 245 Red Robin locations across the United States and Canada, including both company-owned locations and those operated under franchise or license agreements.

For further information contact:

Don Duffy

Integrated Corporate Relations

203-682-8200