Olive Garden is a family of local restaurants that is the leader in the highly competitive Italian segment of casual dining. The company currently operates over 600 restaurants in the United States and Canada. We employ over 77,000 and our sales exceeded 2.7 Billion in fiscal year 2007. Olive Garden is one of four restaurant divisions of Darden Restaurants, Inc. headquartered in Orlando, Florida. Darden Restaurants, Inc. operates four distinct restaurant concepts, including Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Bahama Breeze and Smokey Bones. In fiscal year 2007, annual sales for Darden Restaurants, Inc. totaled more than 5.57 Billion. Darden Restaurants, Inc. is the largest publicly traded casual dining company in the world, and is a Fortune 500 company.
Culture
Our Principles
Olive Garden's guiding principles were developed in 1995 by team members from all levels of the organization. These principles are the philosophical touchstone for all the Olive Garden team members and can be expressed in two thoughts:
HOLD US TO HIGH STANDARDS
TREAT US WITH RESPECT
Benefits
Medical/Dental Insurance & Vision Coverage
Comprehensive medical coverage
Broad choice of preferred provider's - No claim forms
Dental and orthodontia coverage
Annual eye exam for insured participants
Discounts on frames, lenses, and contacts
Flexible Saving Account - Defer pretax earnings to pay for eligible expenses
Prescription Drug Program Card
Fill prescription for minimum $10-$20 co-payment - no claim forms
Mail order for 90 day supply of maintenance prescriptions, at discount prices
Life & Accident Insurance
Term Life Insurance up to 6 times your salary
Accidental Death and Dismemberment
Business Travel Accident Insurance
Dependent Life Insurance
Disability coverage with salary continuance
Long Term Disability
Long Term Care
Paid Vacations
1 week after 3 months of training for external new hires
2 weeks after the first year
Up to 3/4/5 weeks after 5/10/15 years of service
Profit Sharing Savings Plan / Retirement Program
Darden 401K Savings Plan - defer pretax earnings from 1st day
Company matches up to 6%, with 25%-120% match in Darden Stock
Flexible withdrawals and program loan options
100% company paid Retirement Program, fully vested 5 years after your 1st anniversary
Other Benefits
25% Meal Discounts at any Olive Garden or any Darden Restaurant Concept
15% Stock Purchase discount and no fees through payroll deductions after 1 year
Employee Assistance Program - provides confidential professional services
Darden Legal Plan - access to network of qualified lawyers for legal advice
Group Auto & Home Insurance discount programs
Veterinary Pet Insurance Plan
ConSern Student Loan Program
Adoption benefits
LaPetite Academy Childcare Center discounts
Direct payroll deposits
Vision
If you were to consult an Italian dictionary or ask an Italian on the street for the definition of Hospitaliano!, you wouldn't get an answer. Hospitaliano is our passion for 100% Guest Delight. We take pride in doing it right the first time. We value everyone as family and friends.
Diversity
Olive Garden embraces and promotes diversity throughout the company and the community. We celebrate the dimensions of diversity that our employees bring to the workplace, including race, gender, religion, age, physical ability, and sexual orientation. Olive Garden recognizes and respects the value of these differences in enriching our company.
Community Involvement
At Olive Garden, we want the experience of warmth and caring to extend beyond our restaurant walls and into every community where we live and serve. It’s how we demonstrate our purpose of Hospitaliano!
Investing in our communities is one of the best investments we can make and one with an impact that will last for generations. Olive Garden restaurants in the U.S. and Canada serve their community through a variety of local efforts, such as delivering meals in times of need and sponsoring a range of charity and school events; as well as company-wide programs, such as Olive Garden’s Pasta For Pennies, Pasta Tales, and Labor Day Hospitaliano! Visits.