When Bill Darden opened the Green Frog restaurant in Waycross, Georgia, in 1938, he employed anyone willing to work hard, work smart and grow with the company. He believed that if his restaurant welcomed people of all backgrounds, he would have more guests. And if he hired people of all backgrounds, he would have a better understanding of his guests' needs.

Bill hired men and women, whites, blacks and Hispanics as managers in his restaurants at a time when many in the south — and throughout the country — were struggling with race and gender issues. It was the right thing to do for his business and for his community.

That business has grown to include the well-known chains Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, Smokey Bones and Seasons 52 — all founded on the same core principles of diversity and equal opportunity.

Darden Restaurants Inc. is a $5.7 billion company that operates more than 1,400 restaurants in the United States and Canada. The company is living proof that the success of a large restaurant operation is possible only when the best and brightest talent is identified and given a chance to show their stuff.

Forty percent of Darden's total workforce is made up of minorities. Fifty-one percent are women. Minorities account for 36 percent of Darden's board of directors. And the company has quadrupled its spending with minority suppliers in the last five years.

Diversity training at Darden starts right at the top — and reaches to every general manager. Every Darden director and senior executive attends an intensive program designed to build their diversity leadership awareness and reinforce their emotional connection to diversity. In 2005, Darden launched a 'diversity learning experience" for general managers; nearly 1,700 leaders have gone through the two-day program.

Darden also is a firm believer that service industries are only as strong as the communities they serve, which is why the company is constantly getting involved.

When the Urban League of Atlanta asked for help, Darden stepped up to create SAT workshops to improve students' test scores. With the East Los Angeles Community Union, Darden provides foundation grants for scholarships for students who otherwise couldn't afford to continue in school. In Dallas, Darden has started a program that opens up the arts to inner-city kids.

"Darden Restaurants is strong," says Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Clarence Otis Jr., "because we bring people with diverse talents and backgrounds together to achieve one simple goal: to nourish and delight everyone we serve. "It's the way we did business in 1938, it's the way we do business today, and it's the way we'll do business for generations to come."