Red Lobster 2003 Annual Report Download - page 16

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14 DARDEN RESTAURANTS
Bahama Breeze
This year has been a period of fine-tuning for
Bahama Breeze
, our Caribbean-
inspired restaurant in its seventh year of operation. Operating in the upper end
of the casual dining segment,
Bahama Breeze
had a challenging fiscal 2003 due
to continued economic weakness. Despite these tough conditions, we opened
five new restaurants and generated sales of $138 million.
With the promise of a refreshing island escape for guests,
Bahama Breeze
is keenly focused on service and hospitality. Fresh, made-from-scratch Caribbean-
inspired cuisine, hand-crafted drinks, incredible service, and a relaxing island
atmosphere combine to differentiate
Bahama Breeze
from casual dining
competitors. Targeted operational improvements implemented during the year
are enhancing this experience.
We introduced Five STAR service for all guests in February, which focuses
the server on tailoring the dining experience to each guest’s pace, wants and
needs. Our goal is to make every guest feel welcome and cared for with person-
alized service. The program produced immediate results, with performance
levels on service assessments increasing 11 percentage points within a month.
We also focused on improving the wait experience at
Bahama Breeze
, by
implementing Seamless Seating across the Company. This initiative focuses on
welcoming and hospitality, consistently quoting accurate wait times, and seating
tables faster, especially during peak hours. Here, too, we saw immediate results,
with a nine-point rise in service assessments on the wait and quote time accuracy.
The program also has led to improved table management skills and a generally
more welcome and hospitable experience for guests waiting to be seated. New
strategies are also helping us accommodate large parties of 10 or more guests
more smoothly.
In the past year we have worked, in particular, on efforts to strengthen and
increase the diversity of
Bahama Breeze
management teams. These efforts have
been rewarded with a significant reduction in management turnover, overall
improvement in our managers’ quality of life and a strong rise in the number of
minorities and females in management.
Since its inception,
Bahama Breeze’s
marketing has primarily been word
of mouth. During fiscal 2003, we conducted extensive consumer research.
Looking ahead to fiscal 2004 and beyond, we will focus on this research as we
accelerate our brand-building efforts, including using integrated local market-
ing and public relations to further establish the
Bahama Breeze
brand. Armed
with new insights, improved operations and a more finely tuned business plan,
we are more enthusiastic than ever about providing a refreshing island escape –
featuring welcoming hospitality, innovative cuisine and a tropical atmosphere –
to more guests than ever before.
NUMBER OF RESTAURANTS
(by fiscal year)
96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03
123
6
14
21
29
34
Great Expectations