Table of Contents Strategic Framework 2003 Financial Highlights Operating Company Overviews Great Expectations   Ambience   Service   Attentiveness   Knowledge   Friendliness   Cleanliness Letter To Shareholders Operating Highlights   Red Lobster   Olive Garden   Bahama Breeze   Smokey Bones BBQ New Business Opportunities Financial Review 2003 Corporate Responsibility Board of Directors Corporate Officers Shareholders Information
New Business Opportunities Concept. The word implies imagination and ideas. And that's certainly where our New Business team starts — brainstorming concepts that have the potential to grow into powerful casual dining brands. These ideas must satisfy a culinary need that can be packaged into a distinctive dining experience. This means not only recipe and menu development, but also the creation of a restaurant's "personality" — the ambiance, attitude and décor. New concepts also must endure exhaustive market research, competitive analyses and business model development. In short, it's not easy to "birth" a new concept, but it's a critical process to ensure sustained, long-term growth.     The New Business team's latest project is Seasons 52 — a casually sophisticated fresh grill and wine bar, operating as a test restaurant in Orlando, Florida. Seasons 52 has been designed as a vehicle to explore popular culinary trends such as grilled foods, fresher ingredients, bolder flavors and lighter preparations.     As its name suggests, the culinary foundation of Seasons 52 is built around a changing weekly array of the freshest seasonal vegetables, fruits, fish and meats available — including items like Wild Caught Pacific King Salmon on fresh gourmet greens, Char-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with corn polenta, broccolini and cabernet jus, and Grilled Jumbo Sea Scallops with toasted pearl pasta and grilled fresh asparagus. Each week the menu features the best tasting, seasonally fresh products available in the market. As a result, these menu items don't rely on added fats and high-calorie sauces to enhance flavor. Similarly, there are no fryers at Seasons 52, but an assortment of natural cooking methods such as open fire oak and mesquite grilling and stone hearth roasting.     The atmosphere of Seasons 52 reflects this casual but sophisticated approach to cuisine. The restaurant design features warm contemporary design and artwork, as well as a piano bar. An international wine list encompasses more than 100 different wines, 65 of them available by the glass.     Seasons 52 is positioned strategically to appeal to baby boomers who are looking for more sophisticated fare, while also being more mindful of the nutritional value of the food they consume. With pricing in line with other upper-end casual dining establishments, the restaurant is expected to have broad appeal.     The test restaurant is indicative of our goal to be the best casual dining company in the industry. By conducting a limited test of a new concept, Darden has the opportunity to discover potentially new and larger markets.