According to Red Lobster’s company fact sheet listed on the Website (http://www.redlobster.com/press/fact_sheet/), they are “…the world’s largest casual dining seafood restaurant company with nearly 700 restaurants inthe United States and Canada and more than 63,000 employees,” and they “…enjoyed total sales of $2.63 billion in fiscal 2008.”

 

For this assignment, you are going to be part of the Red Lobster Executive Committee as they consider expanding into China. 

 

Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:

1. Review key points from Darden Restaurant’s most recent 10-K. Their stock symbol on the NYSE is DRI.
2. Currently, Red Lobster operates only in the U.S. and Canada.
3. Compare and contrast two (2) other U.S. restaurant companies who have successfully or unsuccessfully entered the Chinese market.
4. Explain the type of potential target consumers for Red Lobster in China and how this might affect your menu choices.
5. As a member of the Red Lobster Executive Committee, analyze three (3) considerations before entering the Chinese market (e.g., distribution and availability of supplies, construction, policies, environment, laws, recruitment, talent management, etc.) and determine how each consideration will affect your decision to proceed.
6. Determine how Red Lobster would measure its success once it establishes a restaurant presence in China.
7. Use at least five (5) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note:Wikipedia and other Websites do not quality as academic resources.

 

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

 

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Analyze and describe the trends affecting consumer travel patterns and worldwide travel.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in international tourism.
• Write clearly and concisely about international tourism using proper writing mechanics.

• Points: 200	Assignment 3: Red Lobster Moves to China?
  Criteria	Unacceptable Below 70% F	Fair 70-79% C	Proficient 80-89% B	Exemplary 90-100% A
  1. Provide a brief overview of the company along with an overview of its parent company, Darden Restaurants, Inc. 1. Weight: 15%	Did not submit or incompletely provided a brief overview of the company along with an overview of its parent company, Darden Restaurants, Inc.	Partially provided a brief overview of the company along with an overview of its parent company, Darden Restaurants, Inc.	Satisfactorily provided a brief overview of the company along with an overview of its parent company, Darden Restaurants, Inc.	Thoroughly provided a brief overview of the company along with an overview of its parent company, Darden Restaurants, Inc.
  2. Assess how expansion into China would affect the business and justify your position. Weight: 15%	Did not submit or incompletely assessed how expansion into China would affect the business and did not submit or incompletely justified your position.	Partially assessed how expansion into China would affect the business and partially justified your position.	Satisfactorily assessed how expansion into China would affect the business and satisfactorily justified your position.	Thoroughly assessed how expansion into China would affect the business and thoroughly justified your position.
  3. Compare and contrast two (2) other U.S. restaurant companies who have successfully or unsuccessfully entered the Chinese market. Weight:15%	Did not submit or incompletely compared and contrasted two (2) other U.S. restaurant companies who have successfully or unsuccessfully entered the Chinese market.	Partially compared and contrasted two (2) other U.S. restaurant companies who have successfully or unsuccessfully entered the Chinese market.	Satisfactorily compared and contrasted two (2) other U.S. restaurant companies who have successfully or unsuccessfully entered the Chinese market.	Thoroughly compared and contrasted two (2) other U.S. restaurant companies who have successfully or unsuccessfully entered the Chinese market.
  4. Explain the type of potential target consumers for Red Lobster in China and how this might affect your menu choices. Weight: 15%	Did not submit or incompletely explained the type of potential target consumers for Red Lobster in China and how this might affect your menu choices.	Partially explained the type of potential target consumers for Red Lobster in China and how this might affect your menu choices.	Satisfactorily explained the type of potential target consumers for Red Lobster in China and how this might affect your menu choices.	Thoroughly explained the type of potential target consumers for Red Lobster in China and how this might affect your menu choices.
  5. As a member of the Red Lobster Executive Committee, analyze three (3) considerations before entering the Chinese market and determine how each consideration will affect your decision to proceed. Weight: 15%	Did not submit or incompletely analyzed three (3) considerations before entering the Chinese market and did not submit or incompletely determined how each consideration will affect your decision to proceed.	Partially analyzed three (3) considerations before entering the Chinese market and partially determined how each consideration will affect your decision to proceed.	Satisfactorily analyzed three (3) considerations before entering the Chinese market and satisfactorily determined how each consideration will affect your decision to proceed.	Thoroughly analyzed three (3) considerations before entering the Chinese market and thoroughly determined how each consideration will affect your decision to proceed.
  6. Determine how Red Lobster would measure its success once it establishes a restaurant presence in China. Weight: 10%	Did not submit or incompletely determined how Red Lobster would measure its success once it establishes a restaurant presence in China.	Partially determined how Red Lobster would measure its success once it establishes a restaurant presence in China.	Satisfactorily determined how Red Lobster would measure its success once it establishes a restaurant presence in China.	Thoroughly determined how Red Lobster would measure its success once it establishes a restaurant presence in China.
  7. 5 references Weight: 5%	No references provided	Does not meet the required number of references; some or all references poor quality choices.	Meets number of required references; all references high quality choices.	Exceeds number of required references; all references high quality choices.
  8. Clarity, writing mechanics, and formatting requirements Weight: 10%	More than 6 errors present	5-6 errors present	3-4 errors present	0-2 errors present