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Florida-based full-service restaurant company, Darden Restaurants, has begun a system-wide sustainable restaurant design initiative involving the use of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards in its restaurant design process.

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The new sustainable initiative will include new restaurants and restaurant remodels. Darden's three largest brands - Red Lobster, Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse - are designing eight restaurants to achieve LEED certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). The company will implement the scheme at new restaurants and remodels across its portfolio in the future, based on the performance of these eight restaurants.

The Olive Garden in Jonesboro, which opened for business in January 2010, is the first of eight restaurants the company is designing to meet LEED standards. One more Olive Garden and two Red Lobsters are scheduled to open in 2010, followed by one Olive Garden, two Red Lobsters and one LongHorn Steakhouse in 2011.

Olive Garden's newest restaurant in Jonesboro, which was designed to achieve LEED certification, features a number of sustainable design elements. They include recycled building materials and the carpet squares are made from 100% recycled materials.

The restaurants will feature more windows for more natural light; energy efficient equipment and fixtures; and automatic faucets in the restrooms. To supplement the heating of hot water in the kitchen, heat expelled from the condensing units of the HVAC system and the Freezer/Cooler condensing units is reclaimed and used to heat water. Together, these elements are expected to help reduce energy consumption in each restaurant significantly.