Darden Restaurants, Inc (DRI)

Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI) – The Darden family of restaurants features some of the most recognizable and successful brands in full-service dining: Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille, Eddie V’s and Yard House. They operate over 2,000 restaurants worldwide.

Vision

With senior leadership we developed a vision for the project: Darden’s new home will be a place of pride that honors our heritage as industry pioneers, inspires and welcomes a diverse community of professionals to work and grow together to create a legacy of greatness for generations.

Darden sought to consolidate from 12 buildings to a campus that could accommodate future growth

Scope

Enable Darden’s business with a new Headquarters’ real estate solution

  • Sold 12 buildings they occupied
  • Acquired a 22 acres site
  • Formed the development team
  • Led site planning, design, and budgeting

Every element of the building is meant to portray “nourish & delight”.  Numerous snack bars, a dining room, test kitchens, and a monumental stair promote collaboration. A history wall shares the company’s amazing growth.

We delivered functional spaces, a LEED gold project, and a workplace that fosters productivity, impacts recruiting, and achieves their vision

Partners

Enable Darden’s business with a new Headquarters’ real estate solution

  • Trammell Crow Company – project coordination and site supervision
  • Hardin Construction
  • Perkins & Will architects
  • Workscapes business furniture
  • Sean McConnell/John McRae – brokers involved in the land acquisition and sale