5 in Running for Furr's Account

DALLAS Nearly a year after emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Furr’s Cafeteria expects to choose an ad agency from a list of five contenders, sources said. The winner could be named before the end of the month, said sources.

The client declined to reveal the contenders. Incumbent The Loomis Agency, a Dallas-based independent, remained with the cafeteria chain through bankruptcy and continues to produce advertising, sources said.

With 58 cafeterias and buffet restaurants, Furr’s spent about $2 million on advertising in 2003 but only $200,000 through July, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus.