1. Darden exhibits in the longhorn currently found in the eastern half of the U.S. This offers opportunity for extensive expansion going forward, Segmentation is exemplified by Red Lobster effort to fill the gap between fast food seafood and upscale white tablecloth restaurants are seeking a decline in the frequency that diners are eating at sit down restaurants. This is result of economic decline and consumers becoming more particular with how they chose to use their limited finance resources.
2. Darden brands are so well differentiated and positioned and the corporate name is kept so low profile that most don’t realize they share a common ownership, they have different riche type market meaning they have Italian market through Olive Garden, seafood through Red Lobster, and steakhouse through Longhorn. Darden has positioned their restaurant to satisfy needs of consumers being part of the family at Olive Garden, experiencing the taste of the west at Long horn.
3. Too much standardization could lead to redundancy in dining experience. If what works well in one restaurant is applied to all the chains the perception by consumers of that feature being lost. There is also a risk for the market to become so saturated with similar products that each one begins to lose it draw as an individual chain. It can also lead to each restaurants getting away from what makes them unique for example wood fired seafood