Darden's Water Conservation

Oct 19, 2012 11:00 AM ET

We use water directly in our operations, primarily in our kitchens for preparing and cooking food, hand washing and cleaning, as well as in restaurant restrooms and for landscape irrigation. In FY2009, we set a corporate-wide goal to reduce our direct water usage by 15 percent per restaurant by 2015 using FY2008 as the baseline. By the end of FY2011, we had already exceeded our goal, having reduced on aggregate our per restaurant water use by approximately 17 percent.

About Darden Restaurants, Inc.

Darden Restaurants, Inc., (NYSE: DRI), the world's largest full-service restaurant company, owns and operates more than 2,000 restaurants that generate over $8.0 billion in annual sales. Headquartered in Orlando, and employing more than 185,000 people, Darden is recognized for a culture that rewards caring for and responding to people. In 2012, Darden was named to the FORTUNE "100 Best Companies to Work For" list for the second year in a row and is the only full-service restaurant company to ever appear on the list. Our restaurant brands – Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille, Eddie V's and Yard House – reflect the rich diversity of those who dine with us. Our brands are built on deep insights into what our guests want. For more information, please visit www.darden.com.

Follow us on Twitter @DardenSustains