Red Lobster 2007 Annual Report Download - page 9

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7
Fiscal 2008 Outlook
For Darden, scal 2008 will be a year of continuity, with the
two strategic imperatives for the year the same as those of the
last several years. We are focused on accelerating protable
sales growth to further leverage the competitively superior
and increasingly strong operating platform we’ve built and
to ensure that we fully capture the tremendous long-term
opportunity casual dining oers. And, to achieve and sustain
this elevated level of protable sales growth, we’re commit-
ted to enriching the Darden culture to make the Company
an even more attractive place to be.
To help accomplish these objectives, we’ll continue to
pursue enterprise-wide initiatives that strengthen our operating
platform by leveraging and reinforcing the importance of
cross-enterprise teamwork. And, we will continue to enhance
the Darden employee experience, with a particular focus on
strengthening the professional growth and development we
oer the people at Darden.
In addition to these enterprise-level initiatives, each
operating company has its own brand-specic focus that
can be summarized as follows:
• Olive Garden – Accelerate new restaurant growth while
maintaining same-restaurant sales excellence and growth.
• Red Lobster – Broaden appeal of the brand to accelerate
same-restaurant guest count growth and prepare for
future new restaurant growth.
• Bahama Breeze – Maintain same-restaurant sales
excellence and growth while preparing for renewed
new restaurant growth.
• Seasons 52 – Enter the next phase of development
focusing on disciplined expansion, while putting in place
an eective and cost-appropriate support structure.
Conclusion
While we’re fortunate to have a proven approach to the
business and a strong culture that together form a strong
operating platform, we’re even more fortunate that
everyone at Darden wants to create a great company – one
that is the best in casual dining now and for generations.
We recognize that, to do so, we must look for ways to enhance
both aspects of our operating platform. As a result, despite
the success we’ve enjoyed, we continue to be appropriately
self-critical.
Guided by our willingness to embrace change in order
to become the best, we’re condent we’re working on the
right things at the enterprise level and within all of our
brands – things that drive current period success while
better positioning us to capture the attractive long-term
opportunity our industry oers.
Thank you for being a shareholder and placing your trust
in our ability to build a great company that will perform
strongly for generations.
Clarence Otis, Jr.
Chairman and Chief Executive Ocer
Andrew H. Madsen
President and Chief Operating Ocer