Red Lobster 2004 Annual Report Download - page 15

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15
core values – always learning, always teaching. In fact, the manage-
ment path at Darden begins with a 12-week Manager-In-Training
(MIT) program that focuses heavily on leadership skills, such as
coaching and motivating.
“We consider the restaurant general manager to be the most important
position in the Company,” says Al Frost, Darden’s Senior Director of
Leadership Development. “Behind every profit-and-loss statement is
a general manager. It is imperative to have the right person with the
right training in order to get the right results.”
Red Lobster’s commitment to training and professional development
at every level has helped the company grow into a market leader in
the casual dining industry, with over $2.4 billion in sales in fiscal 2004.
The coming year will be a significant one for Red Lobster. With a
new senior management team at the helm, the company has under-
taken a variety of initiatives to strengthen its competitive edge. These
include continuing work on a simpler menu, a new LightHouse™
menu showcasing the natural nutritional benefits of seafood, an
improved and highly acclaimed kid’s menu, new advertising, and a
revamped promotional strategy.
Red Lobster’s industry leadership truly begins at the local restaurant
level with managers like Edward Bermudez. “One of the most reward-
ing aspects of my job as a manager is to develop new leaders,” he
notes. “I love going to training sessions and seeing old friends grow-
ing in new roles.” That kind of passion will certainly help lead the
casual dining seafood leader into a new era of growth.
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