As consumers increasingly ask for healthier fare, the company that operates Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants plans to cut salt and calories across its menus by 10 percent over the next five years and 20 percent over the next decade.

Darden Restaurants, an Orlando, Fla., company with 1,900 restaurants that include the LongHorn Steakhouse chain, pledged to reformulate recipes, trim portion sizes and introduce healthier items.

“Americans are increasingly conscious of making healthy choices for themselves and their families,” Darden chief executive Clarence Otis said last week.

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Orlando-based Darden Restaurants has major plans for growth, expecting to bring in as much as 50 percent more revenue within the next five years.

The company outlined those goals at its annual shareholder’s meeting Thursday in Orlando. Darden generated $7.5 billion in sales last year, and chief executive officer Clarence Otis said that number could grow between $3 and $4 billion by 2016.

Much of that could come from its existing restaurant chains, but Darden also is on the lookout for new ventures, “which we’ll either acquire or develop in collaboration with creative partners,” Otis said.

Otis acknowledged, though, that the economy “is likely to remain much weaker for the balance of our fiscal year than any of us would like it to be.”

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The recent recession has lowered the revenues of most restaurants, but the number of meals Americans eat out each year remains unusually high. Research by LivingSocial shows that Americans ate an average of 250 meals out of the home last year, or about 4.8 meals per week. This including carry out and dining inside restaurants.

Darden Restaurants has joined with the Partnership for a Healthier America to create a healthier menu. The chain, which is the country’s largest in the full service industry, owns brands like Olive Garden and Red Lobster. Changes are already planned that include adding milk as a drink choice and including more fruit and vegetables as side items.

Outback Steakhouse won the top spot in the Best Steak Category yet again for the third year in a row. The 2011 National Chain Restaurants Survey by Zagat polls over 6,000 diners on their choices and preferences among the country’s biggest chains. The chain restaurant also placed highly in the Best Value category.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is adding new menu items as the weather gets cooler and fall begins. These new additions include special $5.99 lunch options. Each weekday will feature a different lunch special, including the Country House Salad, Chicken Pot Pie, Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes and Turkey N’ Dressing.

Topper’s Pizza chain is updating their logo and branding efforts to introduce more customers to their tasty pizza. An updated tagline of “Amazingly Delicious” to tell everyone the main focus of the family-owned company. The brand is over 25 years old and chose Greenbaum Marketing Communications to help with the rebranding.

Quiznos is focusing on new partnerships with other businesses to create co-branded locations in existing retail outlets. Their newest agreement will bring 40 new Quiznos locations into existing Champlain Farms’ convenience stores. 10 locations begin construction within the next month, while the rest will be built over the next 2 years.

Fazoli’s is continuing to create a new experience that will revolutionize the quick service industry. They’ve already improved and redeveloped their menu, and is working on a new interior design and improved service to match it. Guests will receive table side service usually found at a much more expensive restaurant.

The French cafe-inspired chain Mimi’s Cafe is committed to add new value items to their menu. The value offerings are part of a plan to entice customers effected by the recession to dine out more frequently. Guests can enjoy an $8 wine pour of three different wines, or get your lunch in under 15 minutes for less than $10.

Genghis Grill, America’s largest Mongolian grill restaurant chain, is bringing out a new protein option on the Khan’s Kitchen food bar. The Dr Pepper BBQ Chicken is marinated and covered in the chain’s signature BBQ sauce with the real flavor of Dr Pepper. Guests can combine this new chicken option with 70 other fresh ingredients.

Noodles & Company is continuing to expand in the state of Iowa with a new location opening in Ames later this week. The menu combines the best tastes from Asian, American and Mediterranean cuisines into fresh noodle dishes, salads and soups. This is the chain’s third location in Iowa, along with restaurants in Coralville and Davenport.

LongHorn Steakhouse today announced the opening of its new location in Roanoke, Va. The restaurant, best known for its atmosphere and flavor of the American West, is located at 4845 Valley View Blvd. NW in Roanoke. As part of its pre-opening training period, the restaurant recently hosted a Friends and Family night which helped raise more than $1,600 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia.

The 6,200-square foot restaurant will employ more than 85 team members and seat more than 240 guests. Kris Layell, a restaurant industry veteran of 15 years, will serve as managing partner.

“LongHorn Steakhouse has been looking to bring its tradition of Western hospitality to Roanoke for some time and we are excited about the warm welcome we have received from the local community,” said Layell. “We look forward to helping our guests relax and unwind in an inviting atmosphere while savoring a great steakhouse meal served with genuine Western hospitality. We’re also pleased we could help support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia and look forward to making more contributions to the local community for many years to come.”

LongHorn opened its first restaurant in Atlanta 30 years ago and has grown steadily – becoming known for its passion for grilling fresh, never frozen, steaks served in a relaxed, comfortable steakhouse atmosphere. LongHorn is known for more than its signature hand-seasoned Flo’s Filet and the bone-in Outlaw Ribeye. LongHorn chefs love to grill fresh fish and chicken in addition to steak. Items such as LongHorn Salmon, a fresh, hand-cut salmon fillet seasoned with a bourbon marinade; fall-off-the-bone tender Baby Back Ribs; and Parmesan Crusted Chicken, two juicy chicken breasts grilled and topped with a parmesan cheese and garlic crust, are just some of the other specialties guests will find on the menu.

The restaurant opens daily at 11 a.m. for lunch. It is open until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

LongHorn Steakhouse today announced the opening of its new location in Tupelo, Miss. The restaurant, best known for its atmosphere and flavor of the American West, is located at 3574 N. Gloster St. in Tupelo. As part of its pre-opening training period, the restaurant recently hosted a Friends and Family night which helped raise more than $750 for the Tupelo Children’s Mansion.

The 6,200-square foot restaurant will employ 80 team members and seat more than 240 guests. Jennifer Hathcock, a restaurant industry veteran of 9 years, will serve as managing partner.

“LongHorn Steakhouse has been looking to bring its tradition of Western hospitality to Tupelo for some time and we are excited about the warm welcome we have received from the local community,” said Hathcock. “We look forward to helping our guests relax and unwind in an inviting atmosphere while savoring a great steakhouse meal served with genuine Western hospitality. We’re also pleased we could help support the Tupelo Children’s Mansion and look forward to making more contributions to the local community for many years to come.”

LongHorn opened its first restaurant in Atlanta 30 years ago and has grown steadily – becoming known for its passion for grilling fresh, never frozen, steaks served in a relaxed, comfortable steakhouse atmosphere. LongHorn is known for more than its signature hand-seasoned Flo’s Filet and the bone-in Outlaw Ribeye. LongHorn chefs love to grill fresh fish and chicken in addition to steak. Items such as LongHorn Salmon, a fresh, hand-cut salmon fillet seasoned with a bourbon marinade; fall-off-the-bone tender Baby Back Ribs; and Parmesan Crusted Chicken, two juicy chicken breasts grilled and topped with a parmesan cheese and garlic crust, are just some of the other specialties guests will find on the menu.

The restaurant opens daily at 11 a.m. for lunch. It is open until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), together with First Lady Michelle Obama, announced today that Darden Restaurants, Inc., the world’s largest full service restaurant company, has committed to improve the nutrition of its children’s and full menus, increasing healthy choices for millions of its guests.

Darden owns and operates approximately 1,900 restaurants in 49 states, serving more than 400 million meals per year. By July 2012, children’s menus at Olive Garden, Red Lobster, LongHorn Steakhouse and Bahama Breeze will offer one percent milk as the default beverage and guarantee a fruit or vegetable as the default side for every kids’ menu item at those restaurants offering a default side. All of Darden’s brands, including Capital Grille and Seasons 52, will reduce its sodium and calorie footprint by 10 percent over five years and 20 percent over 10 years.

“I’m here today because this is a breakthrough moment in the restaurant industry,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “Darden is doing what no restaurant company has done before – they’re not just revamping their kids menus to give kids better food and parents more choices and more control, they’re committing to make changes across the entire menu at every single one of their restaurants. Darden is working to make the healthy choice the easy choice, and they’re making it the delicious and fun choice too.  I’m confident that if companies like Darden continue to be creative and innovative and have our kids’ best interests at heart then we will solve the challenge of childhood obesity and give all our kids the healthy futures they deserve.”

In the last decade, Americans have spent roughly half of their families’ total food budgets and consumed nearly a third of all calories away from home. Additionally, Americans have almost doubled the amount of money spent on food outside the home. In 2010, Americans spent $433 million on food away from home. In 2000, Americans spent about $280 million.

“The Partnership is focused on making the healthy choice the easy choice, whether by working with grocers to bring healthy, affordable food into areas that lack access or with day care centers to ensure that children are starting out their lives with the healthy options they need,” said PHA Board Chair James R. Gavin III, M.D., Ph.D.  ”Recent studies predict half of all Americans will be obese by 2030.  That’s every other person who walks into a restaurant, grocery store or corner bodega. And that’s why, with Darden’s massive reach combined with the leadership they are continuing to show in this area, we are more excited than ever about our chances of ending childhood obesity.”

“Today we are taking a new step forward by creating the most comprehensive health and wellness commitment in the restaurant industry, while preserving our promise to offer our guests the delicious food they have come to know and love from their favorite Darden restaurants,” said Drew Madsen, president and chief operating officer of Darden Restaurants.  ”The First Lady continues to lead the growing national efforts to make healthy food options more available and accessible, and we’re pleased to collaborate with her and the Partnership for a Healthier America on this important commitment.”

Specifically, Darden is making the following commitments:

Kids’ Menus – changes starting now and to be fully implemented by July 2012

• Guarantee a fruit or vegetable will be the default side for every kids’ menu item at those restaurants offering a default side on the children’s menu: Bahama Breeze, LongHorn Steakhouse and Red Lobster.
• One percent milk will be the default beverage, provided automatically if no alternate beverage is requested.  Milk will be prominently promoted on the menu and made available with free refills.
• Food illustrations on the menu will promote the healthy choices for meals and drinks.
• Healthier menu options will be more prominently displayed when possible.
• Carbonated beverages will not be displayed on children’s menus.
• Improve the nutritional content of one or more children’s menu items to provide equal or less than 600 calories, 30% of total calories from fat, 10% of total calories from saturated fat, and 600 mg of sodium.

Calories/Sodium Footprint Reduction – changes to be implemented by 2016 and 2021

• By 2016, reduce calories by 10% and over a ten-year period by 20%.
• By 2016, reduce sodium by 10% and over a ten-year period by 20%.

Every company that works with PHA is required to agree that PHA will monitor and report on progress toward their commitment.  Darden has agreed to provide annual reports outlining its progress in meeting calorie and sodium reductions on all menu items and its enhanced nutritional standards for children’s menus, as well as provide annual samples of children’s menus from each brand.  PHA will benchmark data in 2011 and contract with an independent verifier to monitor compliance beyond the Darden-submitted reports.

Darden Restaurants, owner of Olive Garden and Red Lobster, has found its next big thing in LongHorn Steakhouse.

After a couple of years of slow growth during the economic downturn and adjustment to a new corporate owner, the Western-themed chain is taking off, with annual sales expected to hit $1 billion for the first time this year.

Orlando-based Darden bought LongHorn and Capital Grille for $1.4 billion in 2007.

This year, Darden is accelerating the pace of expansion, with plans to dot the country with LongHorns, eventually reaching 600 to 800. With only 356 restaurants, including seven in the Chicago area, “LongHorn still has this long runway of growth available to it,” said Dave George, president of the chain.

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Howard Schultz, the founder and CEO of the Starbucks corporation, has started a boycott on campaign contributions. His lead has been followed by Whole Foods and J.C. Penny. The boycott aims to encourage politicians from both parties to work together to solve the growing deficit problem. He is also encouraging companies to spend the money on hiring instead of campaign funding.

Chipotle Mexican Grill has funded the production of a new short-film called “Back to the Start”. The stop-action animation illustrates one farmer’s path to sustainable agriculture, a pursuit the chain aims to support. Willie Nelson contributed a cover of Coldplay’s song “The Scientist” to the 2 minute film that will air in theaters around the country.

To support the charitable actions of the Habitat for Humanity foundation, Darden Restaurants donated over $1 million of furnishings from their stores. The fixtures were removed as part of on-going renovations to Olive Garden, Long Horn Steakhouse and other restaurants owned by the company. The ReStore locations sold out of the re-used furnishings quickly.

KFC restaurants in Southern California are bringing the excitement of the 2012 London Olympics to the area now. The KFC Olympics will involve five competitions pitting the best chicken cooks against each other. The winner of each regional contest will compete in the Finals at the beginning of October.

The National Aquarium has a new dining experience to offer visitors. The former main cafe was renovated to allow the new Harbor Market Kitchen room to grow. The restaurant uses local fresh ingredients in a variety of innovative dishes. The old cafe had nearly 1.5 million visitors before the renovations.

Rudy’s “Country Store” and Bar-B-Q has added another NASA store location in the Houston area. The restaurant and store opened on September 1^st. The first 100 guests in line when the store opened walked away with a $20 gift card for the chain. Other giveaways were also held throughout the grand opening celebration.

BJ’s Restaurants is proud to celebrate the opening of their newest location. The Jacksonville restaurant opened on August 29^th and seats nearly 300 guests. The location features the chain’s full menu of pizzas, salads, and a variety of beer options. The signature 103” plasma screen television is also in place.

Syosset, New York is home to the latest Hurricane Grill & Wings location. The chain is known for offering over 32 flavors of hot wings. The grand opening in Syosset brings the brand’s total number to 41 restaurants. The beach-style atmosphere brings a relaxed and family-friendly option to the dining scene.

Pizza fans in Arlington, Texas has another chain to choose from. Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers opened their new location on September 5^th. The menu features all of Mellow Mushroom’s classic pizza, salad and appetizer options. Gluten-free crusts and hoagies will also be available.

ORLANDO, Fla.  (RestaurantNews.com)  Items donated to Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore resale outlets from remodeled Darden restaurants have topped $1.2 million in value and have rapidly moved off the floors of Habitat ReStores across the nation. The gift-in-kind donations to Habitat began in 2010 when Darden began updating more than 300 of its Red Lobster, Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse locations.

To date, 150 Darden restaurants have been remodeled — contributing art, furnishings, hostess stands and even “western-themed” decor to Habitat ReStore resale outlets. The ReStores stock new and lightly used furnishings, building materials and more for sale to help local Habitat affiliates fund the construction, rehabilitation and repair of homes within their communities.

“Darden’s contribution is part of our company’s ongoing commitment to giving back to the communities we serve,” said Drew Madsen, president and chief operating officer for Darden. “This partnership with Habitat for Humanity helps our company live its values. By donating furnishings and other items to ReStores, we honor our commitment to sustainability and contribute to Habitat’s mission of building homes and strengthening communities around the country.”

The 700 Habitat ReStores across the nation operate through local Habitat for Humanity affiliates and thrive through contributions, volunteers and donations including items from product close-outs or remodels. The stores promote the concept of recycling and reuse, keeping quality items out of landfills and offering goods at a discount to the general public.

Habitat for Humanity Kansas City ReStore director Brian Alferman took in donations from seven LongHorn Steakhouse restaurants over a three-month period for an established and a new ReStore. Alferman called the items, “a tremendous boon to our ReStores. They were a great money-maker and helped to create a buzz around town about our new location.”

“This partnership is boosting sales at ReStores and providing funds for Habitat for Humanity to serve more families in need of decent, affordable housing,” said Larry Gluth, senior vice president of U.S. and Canada for Habitat for Humanity International. “Thanks to the commitment of donors, volunteers, communities and homeowner partners, and businesses such as Darden, we are seeing neighborhood revitalization happening across the country. We look forward to a continued relationship with Darden in the years ahead.”

About Darden

Darden Restaurants, Inc., (NYSE: DRI), the world’s largest full-service restaurant company, owns and operates more than 1,900 restaurants that generate more than $7.5 billion in annual sales. Headquartered in Orlando, and employing approximately 180,000 people, Darden is recognized for a culture that rewards caring for and responding to people. In 2011, Darden became the first full-service restaurant company ever to be named to the FORTUNE “100 Best Companies to Work For” list. Our restaurant brands — Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52 — reflect the rich diversity of those who dine with us. Our brands are built on deep insights into what our guests want. For more information, please visit www.darden.com.

About Habitat for Humanity International

Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built, rehabilitated, repaired or improved more than 400,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 2 million people. For more information, or to donate or volunteer, visit Habitat.org.

Orlando-based Darden Restaurants has found its next big thing in LongHorn Steakhouse.

After a couple of years of slow growth during the economic downturn and adjustment to a new corporate owner, the Western-themed chain is taking off, with annual sales expected to hit $1 billion for the first time this year.

Darden, which also owns Olive Garden and Red Lobster, bought LongHorn and Capital Grille for $1.4 billion in 2007.

Darden this year is accelerating the pace of expansion with plans to dot the country with LongHorns, eventually reaching 600 to 800. With just 356 restaurants so far, “LongHorn still has this long runway of growth available to it,” said Dave George, president of the chain.

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Casual diners in North Carolina are flocking to get hepatitis A vaccines after a server at an Olive Garden in Fayetteville told her bosses she tested positive for the virus.

Roughly 2,000 people who ate at the restaurant on one of the eight days in late July and early August when the server was on duty have reportedly already received a vaccine.

Although the odds that the exposed diners contracted hepatitis A at the restaurant are slim, infection is a very real possibility, says Arun K. Bhunia, PhD, a professor of food science at Purdue University, in West Lafayette, Ind.

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Darden Restaurants has entered into a formal area development agreement with CMR to develop and operate Darden’s Red Lobster, Olive Garden and The Capital Grille brands in Mexico. The agreement calls for CMR to initially develop a minimum of 37 restaurants in Mexico over the next five years.

“Last month we celebrated the opening of Red Lobster in Dubai, our first restaurant in the Middle East,” said Kim Lopdrup, senior vice president of Business Development for Darden. “Today, we’re excited to build upon that milestone with the announcement of our agreement with CMR, the leading full-service restaurant operator and franchisor in Mexico. With its growing middle class and strong affinity for American brands, Mexico is an attractive growth market for Darden.

“As we’ve stated previously, Darden remains committed to owning and operating its restaurants domestically.  However we believe the best way for us to expand the reach of our portfolio internationally is by selecting the right partners, like CMR, with outstanding operations experience, local market knowledge, and the commitment to delivering our brands’ experience with excellence.”

CMR is Mexico’s leading casual dining company, with more than 100 restaurants in 26 cities throughout the country.  For more than 40 years, the company has operated a variety of company-owned and franchised concepts within the casual dining and fine dining sectors, including: Fonda Mexicana, Destilería, Elago and Chili’s, among others.

“We are delighted to welcome Red Lobster, Olive Garden and The Capital Grille to our family,” said CMR Chairman of the Board Joaquín Vargas Guajardo. “The addition of these three highly regarded brands to our portfolio is a huge step towards our vision: ‘In casual dining, bring the best of the world to Mexico and share the best of Mexico with the world.’”

Red Lobster announced today the launch of a new national advertising campaign featuring the real people of Red Lobster – a first for the brand and the latest step in a multi-year brand refresh designed to broaden its appeal.

Developed by Grey New York, the new ads feature actual Red Lobster employees and others associated with the brand sharing real, genuine and unscripted stories that bring to life all that’s different about Red Lobster. These stories authentically articulate how the restaurant goes the extra mile to provide every guest with top-quality seafood and an experience reminiscent of dining at the seaside.

The ads also feature a powerful new tagline, “Sea Food Differently,” meant to not only distinguish Red Lobster as the casual dining seafood leader, but also to communicate the many changes the brand has made in recent years. These changes include Wood-Fire Grilling by Certified Grill Masters in every restaurant, a Today’s Fresh Fish Menu featuring five to eight fresh fish selections daily and a new Quick Catches Lunch Menu. Red Lobster is also remodeling its entire system of nearly 700 restaurants in a design inspired by the New England coast.

Designed to more clearly showcase the brand’s dedication to freshness and quality, the new ads also mark the official unveiling of Red Lobster’s new logo, featuring an updated lobster icon with the phrase “Fresh Fish, Live Lobster.” The logo will be featured at the end of each new ad, as well as on new and remodeled restaurant signs, menus, gift cards and the newly redesigned Red Lobster Facebook page and website at www.redlobster.com.

“At Red Lobster, we’ve made some exciting changes but have yet to communicate everything that’s new and different to our guests,” said Salli Setta, Red Lobster’s executive vice president of marketing. “Who better to tell this story than our own people, who bring to life the warmth, vitality and genuineness of our brand.”

The first 30-second ad started airing July 25 in both the U.S. and Canada in support of Red Lobster’s limited-time “Crabfest” promotion. The ad features Jon Forsythe, a crab fisherman who fishes for Red Lobster in Alaska, explaining how he sources the best crab from Alaskan waters that guests can now enjoy during “Crabfest.” He also showcases Red Lobster’s commitment to providing guests with top-quality seafood.

The second 30-second TV spot, “Grill Master,” debuted on July 25 in the U.S. and debuts on August 8 in Canada and features one of Red Lobster’s Certified Grill Masters, Charles Himple from the company’s restaurant in Bronx, NY. The ad shows how Himple, like every Red Lobster Grill Master, freshly prepares shrimp, fish, steak and lobster over the open flame of the oak-wood grill, which brings out the natural flavors of seafood.

“There are a lot of amazing changes going on at Red Lobster,” said Tor Myhren, Grey New York’s president and chief creative officer. “We want people to see how far they’ve actually come. The campaign brings the new Red Lobster dining experience – all these surprising, fresh changes, from the décor to the menu to the service – to life.”

The advertising campaign will also extend into the digital space, including activities to further engage guests on the brand’s Facebook page, You Tube channel and website.

Red Lobster is the world’s largest casual dining seafood restaurant with nearly 700 locations and 60,000 employees delivering delicious, high-quality seafood to guests across North America. Red Lobster is a division of Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: DRI), the world’s largest full-service restaurant operating company. In 2011, Darden became the first full-service restaurant company ever to be named to the FORTUNE “100 Best Companies to Work For” list.

Students across the country put in much more than their two cents this year to raise money for Olive Garden’s Pasta for Pennies program benefiting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).  In fact, more than three million students at 6,520 elementary, middle and high schools collectively raised a record-breaking $8.4 million to support cancer research.  Thanks to their successful efforts, the funds raised for LLS through Olive Garden’s Pasta for Pennies program over the past 17 years now total more than $61 million.

Students in first through 12th grade participated in this year’s program by filling collection jars and boxes in their classrooms with spare change over a three-week period during the school year.  The top fundraising class at each participating school received a pasta party from their local Olive Garden restaurant.

Every penny, nickel, dime and quarter raised helps fund blood cancer research and provides much needed services and support to leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma patients and their loved ones.

“This year’s Olive Garden Pasta for Pennies success is proof that anyone, no matter their age, can become involved and make a difference in the lives of others,” said John Caron, president of Olive Garden.  ”All of us at Olive Garden commend the many students, parents, teachers and administrators who came together for this program and turned pocket change into millions of dollars for cancer research.”

Leading the nation as the top Pasta for Pennies fundraising school for the second consecutive year, collecting $42,216.97, was Warren High School in Downey, Calif.

Other top fundraising schools include:

• William Mason High School in Mason, Ohio, which raised $27,936.54;
• Princeton High School in Cincinnati, which raised $21,040.04; and
• Orange High School in Orange, Calif., which raised $18,833.

The top fundraising LLS Chapter in the country was the South Central Texas Chapter, where 460 schools collected more than $860,000, the most ever raised by a single LLS Chapter in the history of Pasta for Pennies.

“We are grateful for the outpouring of generosity that made this year’s Olive Garden Pasta for Pennies campaign a record-breaking success,” said John Walter, LLS president and CEO.  ”It’s through the hard work of our student participants and partners like Olive Garden that we can collect the funds we need to work toward a cure to end blood cancers.”

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® (LLS) is the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer.  The LLS mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life for patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services.  Founded in 1949 and headquartered in White Plains, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada.  To learn more, visit www.LLS.org or contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

Olive Garden is the leading restaurant in the Italian dining segment with more than 750 restaurants, more than 88,000 employees and $3.3 billion in annual sales.  Olive Garden is a member of the Darden family of restaurants (NYSE: DRI), the world’s largest company-owned and operated full-service restaurant company.  For more information, visit Olive Garden’s website at www.olivegarden.com.

A new opening of a Five Guys Burgers and Fries causes visitors to line up for hours just for a taste. Other “better fast food” chains like Panera Bread and Chipotle Mexican Grill are stealing more traffic from casual restaurants like Applebee’s than from fast food giants. Customers are enjoying the combination of low prices, fast service and fresh ingredients.

Americans may be used to picking up nothing but a burger and fries at their favorite fast food joints, but beer and wine may soon be available too. Burger King locations in large towns like Las Vegas and Miami are now testing a “Whopper Bar” concept. Two South Florida Sonic restaurants will be adding alcohol to their menu as well.

Darden Restaurants, the parent company behind Olive Garden, is increasing the value priced menu offerings of the popular Italian food chain. Recent research demonstrated that the chain could capture more of the households with an annual income of under $60,000 by offering lower priced meals. They’re planning to maintain the same profit margins even with new menu items.

The founder of the Phillips Seafood Restaurants chain, Brice R. Phillips, has passed away at age 90. With the help of his wife Shirley he was able to open Phillips Crab House in 1956. The small restaurant grew into a chain of 19 locations and a line of retail seafood products. Their flagship store also constantly ranked highly in the top 100 highest grossing independently owned restaurants.

Two restaurants from Muskegon, Michigan have been featured on the Food Network’s new show “Outrageous Food”. Bernie O’s Pizza and Papa Bear’s Restaurant have both enjoyed increased business from the positive publicity. Customers traveled from neighboring states to try the incredibly hot Firebird pizza or the massive stuffed hash browns known as the Grizzly.

The Cheesecake Factory has announced that July is now National Cheesecake History Month. The restaurant’s Facebook page will share interesting stories and facts about the development of the famous dessert. The end of the month culminates with the National Cheesecake Day Celebration and the new Hershey’s Chocolate Bar Cheesecake.

Dairy Queen’s newest ad campaign features a commercial with Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton in a pinata. The commercial is part of the new “So Good It’s RIDQulous” concept. A DQ manager hits the pinata and Mary Lou Retton comes tumbling out of it. Retton was chosen for her iconic status and for being a Gen-X mother of four.

Benihana, America’s largest and most popular Japanese steakhouse chain, has announced the monthly Chef’s Special for July. Hibachi Shrimp & Chicken for Two will be available at the discounted price of $36. The meal includes five courses and drinks. Classic Benihana sides like onion soup, Benihana salad and hot green tea is all included.

The Wienerschnitzel chain turns 50 this summer just in time for National Hot Dog Month. The company is starting a “Chili Dog Days of Summer” promotion by sending the Wiener Wagon out to give away 5,000 free chili dogs. The truck will make 20 stops across Southern California in areas like Los Angeles and San Diego.

Pizza Inn is expanding in the Midwest again. The newest location for the chain opened in Springdale, Arkansas in a larger travel center. The location cooks full sized pizzas from scratch despite being part of the convenience store. The chain is now in three states including Arkansas, Tennessee and Alabama.

Darden Restaurants Inc. plans to focus more on value in promotions for its Olive Garden chain as the company tries to extend the recent growth it is seeing in the casual-dining industry.

Casual-dining restaurants have been hurt by the economic downturn and higher commodity costs; however, Darden noted that recent industry data suggest restaurant sales are improving. To help build on that trend, Darden unveiled a plan Friday to target households with annual incomes below $60,000, a group that has pulled back on its share of casual-dining visits in recent years.

“We believe the ability to offer greater affordability to guests without eroding margins will continue to be very important going forward,” President and Chief Operating Officer Andrew Madsen said Friday on a conference call following the company’s quarterly report. Late Thursday, Darden reported a 19% increase in fourth-quarter earnings on a 6.8% increase in revenue.

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Daniel Carr wants to be an environmental filmmaker.  That’s his dream.  But, even better than just dreaming it, this ninth-grader has a plan to achieve it.  Carr shared his plan and the passion that fuels it in a well-written essay that earned him the grand prize designation in Olive Garden’s 15th-annual Pasta Tales essay writing contest.

A homeschooled student from Woodland Park, Colo., Carr’s essay was selected from more than 28,000 entries submitted this year from across North America.  Olive Garden asked students in first through 12th grade to “Describe how furthering your education beyond high school will help make your dreams come true.”  

Olive Garden, along with its parent company Darden Restaurants, is dedicated to enabling and empowering today’s youth to achieve their future goals through postsecondary education.  Through its Pasta Tales essay contest, Olive Garden provides students in its local communities throughout North America an outlet to creatively express the influences, experiences and stories that have shaped their lives and will pave the way for their futures. 

In his essay, Carr expresses his filmmaking dream and outlines the steps he must take to reach it.  He wrote, “My dream is to become an environmental filmmaker and use my films to educate and inspire others about important issues.  To make my dream come true, I need to further my education by attending college and professional film school.  I’ve begun working toward my goal by pursuing academic excellence and honing my filmmaking skills.  My first taste of reaching an audience came when the local PBS station featured one of my films.  The film was about why and how the use of environmentally-friendly household cleaners helps the natural water habitat.  Later, the film was shown on the websites of environmental awareness groups and at the Tampa Bay Green Business Summit, where I spoke in front of attendees and distributed a pamphlet containing the information from my film.  It was gratifying to see my work making a positive impact on the community.”

According to one of the contest judges, Carr’s essay was “strong on creativity, organization and writing.  He did an effective job of expressing his hard work, passion and determination to achieve his goal through furthering his education.”  All essays are reviewed and judged on creativity, adherence to theme, organization, grammar, punctuation and spelling by Olive Garden and the Quill and Scroll Society of the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Iowa.  

As Olive Garden’s Pasta Tales grand prize winner, Carr receives a $2,500 savings bond, a trip with his family to New York City and dinner at the Olive Garden restaurant in Times Square.  Olive Garden also awarded winners in 12 grade categories.  Each of the grade winners receives a $500 savings bond and a family dinner at his or her local Olive Garden:

Full copies of the winning Pasta Tales essays are available upon request.

Olive Garden is the leading restaurant in the Italian dining segment with more than 750 restaurants, more than 88,000 employees and $3.3 billion in annual sales.  Olive Garden is a member of the Darden family of restaurants (NYSE: DRI), the world’s largest company-owned and operated full-service restaurant company.  For more information, visit Olive Garden’s website at www.olivegarden.com.

Red Lobster is trying to create the ambiance of a small, seaside town in Maine as it rolls out a three-year remodeling plan for its 700 U.S. and Canadian restaurants.

The seafood chain is the latest eatery to spruce up its menu, décor and architecture to lure consumers who can afford to eat out more frequently. With economists trimming growth forecasts and unemployment at 9.1 percent, restaurants are becoming increasingly dependent on households earning more than $70,000 to keep sales growing, according to Malcolm Knapp, a New York-based consultant who has monitored the industry since 1970.

“We’ve really become an ‘allocation nation,’ where every month, people look at what’s left from their paycheck and decide how they’re going to spend that money,” said Knapp, creator of the Knapp-Track Index of monthly restaurant sales and guest counts. “Restaurants are re-conceptualizing their brands to appeal to a broader demographic.”

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LongHorn Steakhouse is inviting restaurant guests to “Go West with Luke” for the chance to win an all-expense paid trip to Sundance, Utah, to spend a day on the Provo River with country music star Luke Bryan.

LongHorn’s “Go West with Luke” sweepstakes will award two grand-prize winners and their guest with airfare and transportation to Sundance, a weekend stay from Aug. 5 through Aug. 7 at the scenic Stewart Mountain Lodge, a private acoustic performance by Luke Bryan, an autographed copy of Luke’s new album in stores August 9, “Tailgates & Tanlines,” and the opportunity to step away from their busy lives and spend time with one of country music’s most popular stars in a relaxed, Western setting.

From May 25 to June 28, entrants can submit a sweepstakes entry through the “Go West with Luke Sweepstakes” tab on LongHorn’s Facebook page.  LongHorn will randomly select the two grand-prize winners, which will be announced via LongHorn’s Facebook page on or before July 18.

“I love the outdoors, and I look forward to any chance I get to fish,” said Luke.  ”And being able to share that with some of my biggest fans and play new music for them makes it even better!”

“‘Go West with Luke’ will give two lucky fans a once-in-a-lifetime chance to spend time with one of country music’s most talented stars, Luke Bryan, in the relaxed Western setting of Sundance,” said Shelly Welch, senior vice president of brand marketing for LongHorn Steakhouse.  ”LongHorn is proud to provide our guests with exclusive opportunities to connect with country music artists, and this promises to be an unforgettable experience for our winners to make a genuine connection with Luke.”

Entrants must be 21 years of age and a U.S. resident (excluding Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico).  Only one entry is allowed per person.  For complete rules, visit LongHorn’s Facebook page.  

Luke Bryan will release his third studio album for Capitol Records Nashville on Aug. 9, Tailgates & Tanlines.  This project is the follow up to his GOLD-certified album Doin’ My Thing, which produced three back-to-back No. 1 singles- “Do I,” “Rain Is A Good Thing” and “Someone Else Calling You Baby.”  The lead single off the forth-coming project is “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” and is his fastest rising single to date.  The song debuted at No. 1 in U.S. digital singles sales with 105,498 downloads its first week.  Luke is currently nominated for two 2011 CMT Music Awards- Best Web Video of the Year for his video “It’s A Shore Thing” and as Best New Live Act, the Nationwide Insurance Award.  Fans can catch Luke on the road this summer on Tim McGraw’s “Emotional Traffic” tour.  

More than 29 years after opening its first restaurant in Atlanta, LongHorn Steakhouse now operates more than 350 restaurants in 33 states. In 2007, LongHorn created the “Live at LongHorn” music program to provide a venue for connecting American country music artists to country music fans through in-restaurant meet-and-greets, live performances in intimate venues, special events, and sweepstakes accessible via www.liveatlonghorn.com. LongHorn is a part of Darden Restaurants, Inc., the world’s largest full-service restaurant company.

Pennsylvania’s Main Line Pizza has tapped into a new form of marketing that has led to skyrocketing sales. Text message marketing sends a convenient message to any cell phone that has opted in to the messaging list. Restaurant owners can collect the numbers of customers, then send out promotions, coupons or reminders at any time.

Smashburger may be under a decade old, but the burger franchise is rapidly growing. The company recently signed new franchise development agreements that will lead to 63 new locations. Once these new restaurants are built the chain will have 463 locations across the country. This agreement also helps Smashburger break into four markets they have not yet tapped.

Bruegger’s is focusing on healthy eating for the summer and they’ve added new Cafe Salads to all location menus. The five new dishes include the Harvest Chicken Salad with diced chicken and apples over romaine lettuce. Others include the Sesame Chicken, Classic Cobb and Asian inspired Mandarin Medley. All five salads have less than 330 calories.

To celebrate Memorial Day weekend, Luby’s is offering a special deal on pies. You can pick up a freshly made Buttermilk Chess, Cherry, Coconut Meringue or Famous Pecan pie that serves up to eight people for just $7.99. Guests must pre-order by Thursday, May 26^th to receive this price and must pick up their pie over the Memorial Day weekend.

Most people don’t want to think about toilets or the associated waste while eating, but one themed restaurant in Taiwan is banking on the concept. Foods are served in small toilet shaped bowls at the aptly named Modern Toilet restaurant in Ximending. The restaurant started by selling chocolate soft serve exclusively, but became so popular that they expanded into a full menu.

McDonald’s will begin their fifth annual Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour shortly and they are proud to announce that Grammy Award winning Hezekiah Walker will be the main guest. Multiple stops in gospel churches in six cities including Atlanta and Philadelphia are planned. All of the concerts are free. Other guests include Myron Butler, Canton Jones and group 21:03.

To promote their new Grilled Chicken & Pecan Salad Sandwich, Arby’s held a taste test contest inviting guests to compare their sandwich to the chicken offered by Subway. When the votes were tallied, Arby’s won with over 8000 votes compared to Subways’ 1000. The chain also donated $25,000 to the No Kid Left Hungry campaign by charity Share Our Strength.

The parent company of Red Lobster and Olive Garden, Darden Restaurants, has added three new locations of its top three chains to the Arundel Mills shopping center in Hanover, MD. Between the two previously mentioned restaurants and a new LongHorn Steakhouse the company created over 350 new jobs. The locations were also built with energy saving designs and environmentally friendly materials.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is continuing to make 2011 their biggest year for growth with the signing of an agreement for a new St. Cloud restaurant. A chairwoman of the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce, Sheila Tepley, and a partner chose the restaurant for its quality food and popularity. The restaurant will open in June, 2011.