|
 Barington, which represents shareholders who own more than 2 percent
of Darden, and some Wall Street analysts contended that Darden's
move was not aggressive enough.
"While today's announcement is a first step toward improving focus
and operating execution at Red Lobster and Olive Garden, we view the
plan Darden announced today as incomplete and inadequate," James
Mitarotonda, chairman and chief executive of Barington, said in a
statement.
New York-based Barington says Darden has become too large and
complex to compete with direct rivals such as Cheesecake Factory <CAKE.O>
and Brinker International's <EAT.N> Chili's Grill & Bar. The company
also is under pressure from popular limited-service chains like
Chipotle Mexican Grill <CMG.N>, which have been stealing customers.
Barington has been pushing the company for months to split in two:
one company to operate its mature Olive Garden and Red Lobster
chains, and another for growing brands such as LongHorn Steakhouse,
Seasons 52, Capital Grille and three others.
The hedge fund also has urged Darden, the largest U.S. full-service
restaurant operator, to explore creating a publicly traded real
estate investment trust (REIT) to "unlock the value" of its property
holdings.
Barington said those actions could push Darden's stock to between
$71 and $80. The shares were down 4.9 percent to $50.34 in midday
trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Asked on a conference call with investment analysts why the company
was keeping Olive Garden, Darden Chief Executive Clarence Otis said
the chain contributes strong cash flow and is a significant part of
the company. Olive Garden has historically contributed about half of
Darden's total revenue but of late has struggled to grow sales at
established restaurants.
Otis said Darden had reviewed the potential for a REIT and
determined that substantial costs and other factors did not make
this a viable option.
"That is not something that we think makes sense going forward. We
think the plan that we've outlined is a plan that best creates
shareholder value," he said.
Janney Capital Markets analyst Mark Kalinowski gave the plan a mixed
review.
"While we to some degree applaud this unexpected move ... we are
somewhat puzzled that what will be left behind is still a
seven-brand company in an industry in which succeeding over the long
term with one brand can prove challenging," he said.
LATER, LOBSTER
Orlando-based Darden forecast a year-over-year drop in earnings per
share of 15 to 20 percent for its fiscal year ending May 2014, due
in part to a significant deterioration in Red Lobster's business in
the latest quarter. It previously called for a decline of 3 to 5
percent.
Darden expects to close a tax-free spinoff of Red Lobster in early
fiscal 2015 but said it also would consider a sale of the seafood
chain, which accounts for an estimated 30 percent of company
revenue.
[to top of second column] |
A sale of Red Lobster could bring in $2.0 billion to $2.5 billion,
Miller Tabak & Co analyst Stephen Anderson told Reuters.
Same-restaurant sales at Red Lobster declined a
steeper-than-expected 4.5 percent in the second quarter that ended
November 24 and have fallen in four of the last five quarters.
Many U.S. restaurant chains are fighting to increase sales and
traffic amid intense competition that has taught budget-conscious
diners to shop around for deals.
"Red Lobster has almost (been) forgotten as a place to eat by U.S.
families as they perceive the brand as not offering the most value
per plate," said Brian Sozzi, chief executive of Belus Capital
Advisors.
While Darden has attracted younger and higher-income diners to Olive
Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and its other chains, the company has
not replicated that success at Red Lobster.
"The spinoff will transform Darden into two independent public
companies that can each focus on their different opportunities,"
Otis said.
Restaurant operators ranging from Darden direct rival Brinker to
McDonald's Corp <MCD.N> have used that same strategy in recent years
to focus on their core operations and improve results.
Darden's announcement on Thursday also outlined fewer new restaurant
openings and other cost savings, proposed changes to executive
compensation and plans to revive Olive Garden.
Some analysts cheered Darden's vow to put a halt to acquisitions
after a multi-year buying spree that most recently added Eddie V's
and Yard House to its holdings.
"It's about time," Kalinowski said.
Darden said its proposed cost-savings plans are expected to save $60
million annually. The company said it plans to use the freed-up cash
to support dividends, share buybacks and to strengthen its credit
profile.
Darden, whose market value is $6.9 billion, also said second-quarter
net income fell 41 percent to $19.8 million, or 15 cents per share.
Goldman Sachs & Co is financial adviser to Darden, while Latham &
Watkins will be its legal counsel. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is
the legal adviser to Darden's board.
(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los
Angeles and Aditi Shrivastava in Bangalore; editing by Kirti Pandey,
Saumyadeb Chakrabarty, John Wallace and Cynthia Osterman)
[© 2013 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2013 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
