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 personalized 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 marketing 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.