News

October 5, 2009

Green Lobster? Darden Restaurants Opens Eco-Friendly HQ

Darden Restaurants, the parent company of Red Lobster and five other casual-dining chains, has opened a new headquarters packed with conservation features, including the use of reclaimed water for bathrooms and irrigation.

Just that green touch of using captured rain and wastewater will cut the building's water consumption by 2 million gallons annually, according to the company.

Additional savings are expected from the Orlando, Fla., facility's use in its landscaping of "bio-soil," a naturally enriched dirt that absorbs and holds water. The trees, shrubs and grasses on the grounds are native to the region and need little more than the area's normal rainfall to thrive, the company says.

Energy-saving features incorporated into the 469,000-square-foot facility include a glass "curtainwall" exterior that lets in natural light; an automated lighting system that adjusts to the amount of sunlight entering the building; and a high-efficiency heating and air-conditioning system.

Atop the three-story building is a reflective roof that fends off the intense Florida sunlight, helping to keep the interior cool. The height of the structure was chosen to encourage the use of stairs.

"More than three years ago, we envisioned a new home that would be a place of pride and performance that honors our company's heritage as an industry pioneer," notes Clarence Otis, Darden's chairman and CEO. "Our vision was also to set a new standard in sustainability and underscore real corporate responsibility in building design."

Darden says the building was built to meet the gold-level standards of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program. If the expected award is granted by the U.S. Green Building Council, the center would become the largest newly constructed LEED Gold-certified building in Florida, according to the company.

Darden relocated to the new facility from a high-rise building elsewhere in Orlando. Local news reports indicated that the new headquarters cost $152 million to construct, and that Orange County extended $5.3 million in grants to keep Darden based in the area.

The company started in the Orlando area more than 40 years ago with the opening of the first Red Lobster. Its other brands now include Olive Garden, Capital Grille, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52.