Darden has stocks at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker stock symbol DRI. This is the primary source of investor relations. Darden has been a publicly traded company since 1995 as a result of a spin-off from General Mills. Darden currently pays a dividend. Darden’s fiscal year ends the last Sunday in May.
Strategies that Darden doesn’t participate in and I think they should are franchising. Franchising is the practice of using another firm’s successful business model. A franchise is considered a distribution system, with the trademark of the franchise system covered by specific covenants.
Franchises are best used in businesses that have a good track record of profitability, easily duplicated, detailed systems, processes and procedures, around a unique or unusual or unusual concept, broad geographic appeal, relatively easy to operate, and relatively inexpensive to operate.
If Darden Restaurants had a franchise opportunity I think it would work in their favor. Franchises are a great way to expand the Darden brand in a way where investors can be a part of a successful brand without buying into a company. Franchises can be obtained by any person with their finances in order of course, that wants to own their own business, and have some creative freedom.
The most important strategy during a crisis is constant communication. Constant communication is key to surviving a crisis situation. If there is no communication, there is no conveying of meaningful information.
Most of this is about franchising. There is very little about crisis communications, except some very generalized statements at the end.
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