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OLIVE GARDEN CORPORATE FACT SHEETOlive Garden is committed to its purpose of Hospitaliano! – providing 100 percent guest delightthrough the genuine Italian dining experience. This passion is continuing to advance OliveGarden’s leadership position in the highly competitive, full-service Italian segment of the casualdining industry. Here are some facts about this family of local restaurants:BACKGROUND:Founded in 1982, Olive Garden is owned by Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI), the largestcasual dining restaurant company in the world.Olive Garden is the leading restaurant in the Italian dining segment with 670 restaurants, morethan 80,000 employees and $3.1 billion in annual sales.GUEST EXPERIENCE:Italians have a passion for sharing genuine hospitality with family and friends. So, at OliveGarden, “When you’re here, you’re family,” is more than a tag line. It is the brand promise todelight more than 3.3 million guests every week with fresh, simple delicious Italian food; awardwinningwine and beverage choices; service in a comfortable home-like Italian setting; and theexperience of being treated like family.EMPLOYEE CULTURE:Olive Garden attributes much of its success to its commitment to training and developingrestaurant team members with initiatives, such as weeklong manager visits to Olive Garden’sCulinary Institute of Tuscany in Italy and more than 500,000 training hours invested in wineeducation.AWARDS:Olive Garden’s award-winning culinary, beverage and training teams have garnered nationalrecognition for their innovation, program execution and industry leadership from top tradepublications and food service organizations.FINANCIALS:The achievement of 57 consecutive quarters of same restaurant sales increases far out-paces thecasual dining industry.Sales of $3.1 billion in FY08.Average annual sales of $4.9 million per restaurant.EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT:Dave Pickens, PresidentValerie Insignares, Executive Vice President of OperationsJohn Caron, Executive Vice President of MarketingPage #1 Last Updated February 2009
CULINARY INSTITUTE OF TUSCANY FACT SHEETBACKGROUND:In October 1999, Olive Garden announced an unprecedented partnership with Sergio andDaniela Zingarelli, owners of the Italian winery of Rocca delle Macie, one of Italy’s leadingproducers of Tuscan wines.The partnership consists of two elements:Olive Garden Riserva di Fizzano, a restaurant in Tuscany, Italy, specializing in Tuscan cuisine;and the Olive Garden Culinary Institute of Tuscany where Olive Garden managers gain an evengreater appreciation for and knowledge of Italian cooking techniques, food, wine and culture.Both serve as the inspiration for many of the flavorful dishes featured on Olive Garden’s menu.LOCATION:Both are located in a restored 11th-century village on the 450-acre Riserva di Fizzano, a propertyowned by Rocca delle Macie that includes a 21-room inn. Rocca delle Macie is located in thescenic rolling hills of Tuscany in Castellina in Chianti, near Siena.CULINARY INSTITUTE OF TUSCANY:Every year, approximately 100 Olive Garden managers travel to Italy to enhance their culinaryskills as part of an ongoing training program designed to bring the genuine Italian diningexperience alive for managers and, upon their return, to their restaurant teams and guests.Under the direction of Olive Garden Head Chef Romana Neri, attendees learn more aboutselecting and cooking with only the freshest ingredients, how to properly layer sauces, perfect aldente pasta, and pair sauces and pasta to create the most flavorful meals.Managers visit the Rocca delle Macie winery and are introduced to Italy’s illustrious history ofwinemaking and enhance their knowledge of food and wine pairings.Time is also spent in the al fresco markets of Florence and dining and sightseeing throughoutTuscany and Rome.To date, more than 800 managers and team members have trained at Olive Garden’s CulinaryInstitute of Tuscany and enjoyed weeklong immersions in Italian food, wine and culture.Page #2 Last Updated February 2009
Page 16 and 17: OLIVE GARDENSite Selection Criteria
Page 18: Vini (Wines)Our wines are listed fr

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