The table lacked butter and olive oil, purposefully. So began my meal Saturday night in Orlando Florida at Seasons 52, a fresh dining concept from Darden Restaurants, parent company to Olive Garden and other restaurant chains. Nothing on the Seasons 52 menu has over 475 calories, a requirement that leads to guiltless mini-desserts. The upscale menu changes every three months (I ate from the Fall menu), and includes weekly specials that capture a food in its best season. Brussels sprouts – a rare restaurant find except in gourmet restaurants – caught my eye. Attractive presentation, brick ovens and a terrific wine list (including wines “soon to be famous”) added to the dining experience. An inviting stone and wood décor complete with a fireplace and a welcoming piano bar will draw repeat visitors for sure. I’m writing about Seasons 52 as it contains the…
Business model strategy strengthened by a unique strategic role
Dane County, Wisconsin likely has more organizations focused on environmental improvement per square foot of geography than any other county in the USA. An early member of the “green community” was Sustain Dane. Like many non-profits, Sustain Dane grew out of the values of founders who shared a drive to make the world a better place. In 1998, attendees from a half-day session on The Natural Step with Torbjorn Lahti, the father of the Swedish eco-municipality movement, began meeting regularly. They established Sustain Dane to move Lahti’s eco-municipality concept forward locally. Like many new non-profits, Sustain Dane’s business model was defined by projects a working board and single staff member wanted to take on. One notable project was development of the rain barrel, RainReserve™, used to divert rainwater from gutters into a water reserve for grass and garden. Over 2000 rain barrels were…