Darden Digest: Finance Fellow Finds Energy Savings for Darden

In 2009, Darden announced a commitment to reach a 15% reduction in the average energy usage per restaurant by 2015. As of 2012, the company had cut energy use by 12 percent. To reach its goal, Darden wanted to understand what technologies and initiatives could best reduce the company's energy use over the next two years.

This summer, Darden Restaurants enlisted the help of EDF Climate Corps fellow, Felipe Mai, to work with the sustainability and business analytics teams to identify and outline energy-saving strategies for 2,100 locations. Felipe is an MBA  student at Warrington College of Business at the University of Florida, where he had also received a Bachelor’s of Science in Microbiology and a Master’s in Entrepreneurship. His top criteria for an internship were to: 1) stay in Florida; and 2) find a hospitality or entertainment company with a strong service-based culture. This led Felipe to EDF Climate Corps and his matched engagement with Darden Restaurants.

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