Darden Restaurants - Diversity Overview

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Diversity Overview

At Darden Restaurants, Diversity is a priority, a strategy, and a way of life. VISION STATEMENT "Darden Restaurants recognizes the value of a business environment that embraces individual differences, including those among our guests, employees, business partners and all others in the communities in which we operate, and we are committed to creating and maintaining such an environment. This commitment is based upon the recognition and belief that diversity is critical to our ability to excel in an increasingly diverse and dynamic marketplace". That's because the restaurant business is a people business. Diversity in the broadest sense can be found in Darden's large workforce (more than 150,000 valued people) and in the 300 million meals we serve annually. We promote and celebrate diversity throughout the company, not just because it's "the right thing to do," but because we know it's crucial to our future growth. Darden respects and cherishes the distinctions our employees bring to the workplace, including diversity in race, gender, age, disability and sexual orientation. DARDEN'S APPROACH TO DIVERSITY Diversity is a core value - Darden embraces diversity from our dining rooms to our boardroom. Diversity supports our core purpose, "To nourish and delight everyone we serve," and enables our strategic imperatives. As a consumer-research driven company, we continually seek guest and employee feedback that helps us to provide the best possible experience for these key stakeholders. Our approach is holistic and includes workforce diversity, community affairs, supplier diversity and guest diversity. For more than 65 years, Darden Restaurants has been committed to creating an environment where everyone is welcome. Our founder, Bill Darden, recognized that if we hired people of all backgrounds, we'd have more talent, and if our restaurants welcomed people of all backgrounds, we would have more customers. That's why diversity has been the power that allows Darden to grow its Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze and Smokey Bones Barbeque & Grill restaurants. As our country becomes increasingly more diverse, it becomes more and more important for Darden's ability to be the casual dining choice of all people is critical to its success. "Our greatest competitive edge is the quality of our employees, evidenced by the excellent job they do every day.” Bill Darden Founder Darden Restaurants Black Enterprise recognized Darden in its “40 Best Companies for Diversity” list, which published in its July issue Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance Earnest P. Royal Pioneer Award presented to Former Chairman & CEO Joe Lee (2002) Darden's Board of Directors ranked as one of the most diverse among Fortune 500 companies. Named Corporation of the Year by: Florida Minority Supplier Development Council(2001,2004-2005) Executive Leadership Council (2003) Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce (2004) Greater Dallas Asian-American Chamber of Commerce (2004) Hispanic Business recognized Darden as one of its “2005 Top 40 Companies for Hispanics” in its September “Champions of Diversity” issue. Fortune magazine named Darden to its “2005 Top 50 Employers For Minorities” list in its August issue.		Click here to sign up for our community newsletter Being of Service 2007 Grantees 2004 - 2005 Sponsorship Requests

PRINCIPLES
Principle #1: Diversity is the right thing to do.

Diversity is one of our core values. We are a hospitality and service company with a goal of building positive, enduring relationships. We value relationships more than transactions. Diversity is an excellent guide as we ensure that we create relationships of trust in which people are treated as individuals without prejudgments or stereotyping. Our goal is to build and sustain an inclusive culture and to gain the strength that comes with individual differences and understanding of and respect for those differences.

Principle #2: Diversity will allow our people and our business to grow.

Darden's current and potential guests and employees are diverse in many ways, and these differences can lead to different dining and employment expectations. We are committed to exceed the expectations of all our guests and employees.

Principle #3: We must manage diversity well so that our business is not at risk.

Strong national brands such as Red Lobster and Olive Garden take decades to build. Emerging brands like Bahama Breeze and Smokey Bones grow on guest satisfaction and guest referral. Credibility and guest loyalty are built one guest at a time, one meal at a time.

DIVERSITY VISION
Darden Restaurants values, embraces, leverages and celebrates diversity to excel in an increasingly dynamic and diverse marketplace.

DIVERSITY STATEMENT
Darden Restaurants and each of its business units recognize the value of a business environment that embraces individual differences, including those among our guests, employees, business partners and all others in the communities in which we operate, and we are committed to creating and maintaining such an environment. This commitment is based upon the recognition and belief that diversity is critical to our ability to excel in an increasingly diverse and dynamic marketplace.

LEADERS' DIVERSITY COMMITMENTS

Commitment #1:	We will grow an organization rich in all facets of diversity, including racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, and age diversity, as well as diversity in physical ability and disability, geography, ancestry, socioeconomic background, and social outlook and experience.

Commitment #2:	We will achieve minority and female representation at all levels of the organization to ensure we are a world-class employer of choice.

Commitment #3:	We will nourish and delight everyone we serve, including our diverse guests, by fulfilling and exceeding their needs and expectations.

Commitment #4:	We will increase supplier diversity.

Commitment #5:	We will leverage community involvement in the communities from which we draw employees and guests.

Commitment #6:	We will evaluate the diversity performance of leaders against diversity objectives, ensure accountability, provide effective feedback, and celebrate success.