"Darden is the Company it is today because we place no limits on what we believe we can achieve. Like Bill Darden, Joe Lee and the others who founded our Company, we are willing to dream big dreams, and we are united by a strong, values-based culture."

Darden Restaurants, Inc., (NYSE: DRI) headquartered in Orlando, Fla., is the world's largest full-service restaurant company with almost $6.7 billion in annual sales and approximately 170,000 employees. The Company owns and operates nearly 1,700 restaurants including Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52.

While Darden benefits from an industry that has strong long-term prospects and we employ terrific people, operate outstanding restaurant companies, follow a clear strategy, and enjoy excellent financial strength, we know we cannot be successful without an unmistakable sense of who we are. That's why we understand and appreciate our Core Values that have been forged over our more than 60-year history started by our founder, Bill Darden. As we continue the journey to become the best casual dining company, we will look to these values for guidance and know they will be especially critical when we're faced with unexpected opportunities or challenges.

VISION STATEMENT

"Darden Restaurants recognizes the value of a business environment that embraces individual differences, including those among our guests, employees, business partners and all others in the communities in which we operate, and we are committed to creating and maintaining such an environment. This commitment is based upon the recognition and belief that diversity is critical to our ability to excel in an increasingly diverse and dynamic marketplace".

That's because the restaurant business is a people business. Diversity in the broadest sense can be found in Darden's large workforce (more than 150,000 valued people) and in the 300 million meals we serve annually.

We promote and celebrate diversity throughout the company, not just because it's "the right thing to do," but because we know it's crucial to our future growth. Darden respects and cherishes the distinctions our employees bring to the workplace, including diversity in race, gender, age, disability and sexual orientation.

With more than 1,700 Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, The Capital Grille, and Seasons 52 restaurants throughout the U.S. and Canada, Darden Restaurants is the world's largest casual dining restaurant company. Supporting all the managers and employees in those restaurants is a big job, that's why our Restaurant Support Center team in Orlando, FL, which includes some of the best minds in the business, is vital to Darden's continued success.

• Diversity is a core value - Darden embraces diversity from our dining rooms to our boardroom.
  
• Diversity supports our core purpose, "To nourish and delight everyone we serve," and enables our strategic imperatives.
  
• As a consumer-research driven company, we continually seek guest and employee feedback that helps us to provide the best possible experience for these key stakeholders.
  
• Our approach is holistic and includes workforce diversity, community affairs, supplier diversity and guest diversity.
  
• For more than 65 years, Darden Restaurants has been committed to creating an environment where everyone is welcome.
  
  "Our greatest competitive edge is the quality of our employees, evidenced by the excellent job they do every day.”