DARDEN RESTAURANTS Inc. GOING INTERNATIONAL By Kaitlin Robinson.

DARDEN RESTAURANTS Inc. GOING INTERNATIONAL By Kaitlin Robinson

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

• Founded by Bill Darden at age 19• First restaurant 1938• 25-seat luncheonette in Waycross, Ga• The Green Frog and promised “Service with a Hop”

• First Red Lobster opened• Lakeland, Florida 1968

• Now own and operate 2,100 restaurants, 200,000 employees• More than 500 of the 1,900 GMs rose from hourly ranks

BRANDS

• Largest full-service restaurant company • Annual sales of more than $8. 5 million

• Built on decades of learning from guests• Provide more than 1 million guest experiences daily

• Culinary inspirations from:• Fishing villages of Maine• Family tables of Italy • American west

FAMILY OF RESTAURANTS

• Red Lobster

• Olive Garden

• LongHorn Steakhouse

• Bahama Breeze

• Seasons 52

• The Capital Grille

• Eddie V’s

• Yard House

EMPLOYEE SUPPORT

• Give employees opportunities to excel through education, competitive pay, valuable benefits and room for growth.

• Darden creates thousands of jobs in hundreds of communities in the U.S. and Canada

• Provides charitable dollars and volunteers to support the issues important to each community, including postsecondary education, preservation of natural resources and hunger relief.

• Darden Dimes Program• Darden employees have provided over $15 million in assistance to more than

39,000 of their coworkers facing emergencies

INVESTMENTS

• When Darden opens a new restaurant they are making a 30-year investment in a community. • Each restaurant requires an approximately $3.5 million capital

investment to build and supports approximately 200 construction jobs.• And once the restaurant is operational, it sustains an average

of 100 permanent jobs.

HELPING THE LOCALS

• Darden announced a three-year commitment to rebuilding troubled fisheries through targeted Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs)

• The initial FIP was launched in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, in conjunction with Publix Super Markets and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership.• It includes commitments to combat illegal fishing, enhance productivity and

reduce negative ecological impacts.

• In 2013, Darden announced its second FIP commitment which is focused on the Honduras Spiny Lobster Fishery

• Lobster Aquculture in Milasia

GOING INTERNATIONAL

• Their approach is to identify where there is a need and where Darden can play a meaningful role.

• First Expansion- 1980 to Japan

• Expansion in 2010 to Middle East- 2 Red Lobsters and 2 Olive Gardens

• 2013- Expansion into Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, and Panama• Develop and operate 57 restaurants• Red Lobster, Olive Garden and LongHorn

• "Brazil's growing middle class and strong affinity for American brands makes it an attractive growth market for Darden.” –Kim Lopdrup Senior VP Business Development

INTERNATIONAL FRANCHISING-LOCATIONS

• Middle East• Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United

Arab Emirates

• Latin America• Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua,

Peru and Puerto Rico

• Japan

• Currently Accepting applications from:• Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan

TROUBLES ABROAD in Brazil?

• In Brazil, partnered with IMC• International Meal Company• Leading multi-brand casual and quick-service restaurant operator in Latin

America • More than 350 company-owned restaurants and 12,000 employees in Brazil

• This partnership eliminated any possible issues with the culture or language barrier in Brazil

• Trying to improve from issues in Japan• They say targeting the right market is vital• Failing- no strong local partner• Couldn’t differentiate from other local restaurants• Locals are “experts” in cooking seafood

Key to success

• To be a “leader” in this industry a company needs to:• Embrace ideas fully of sustainability, health and wellness, and corporate

philanthropy• Darden has embraced these ideas fully• Employees are proud to work for Darden• Diversity is very important- On top diversity lists for women, Hispanics,

people with disabilities, African Americas• 42% workforce minorities• 52% females• 40% managers are women

• Darden Veteran Sylvia Doggett-Jones claims “Diversity is a differentiator for us.”

FUN FACTS

• Serve more than 425 million meals a year

• Fortune 100 best companies to work for- past four years• Only full-service restaurant company ever on list

• Darden Harvest- take all the unused food at the end of the night and donate it to the local food banks• Over 66 million pounds

• Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA)• Pledging to reduce overall calorie and sodium by 10% by 2016 and 20% 2021• Enhance credentials of Children’s menus

• Since November 2010 Darden has recycled almost 14,000,000 lbs cooking oil

• Provide all menus in braille

WORKS CITED

• https://www.darden.com/secure/about/new-business-development.asp

• http://investor.darden.com/investors/news-releases/press-release-details/2013/Darden-Adds-to-International-Expansion-With-Entry-Into-Brazil-and-Three-Additional-Countries/default.aspx

• http://www.darden.com/about/faq.asp

• http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2010-11-05/business/os-red-lobster-japan-20101104_1_longhorn-steakhouses-darden-restaurants-olive-gardens

• https://www.darden.com/about/downloads/Profiles_in_Diversity_Journal_Darden%20Feature_JanFeb2013.pdf