VALUES & PRINCIPLES
Cara is
a leading restaurant and food-service company rooted in the rich culture
and heritage of Canada. Founded in 1883 as The Canada Railway News Company
Limited, we changed our name to Cara Operations Limited in 1961. The name
Cara was derived from the first two letters of "Canada Railway", and is an
Irish word meaning "Friend". We believe that our people are Cara's key sustainable
competitive advantage, and we refer to them as "teammates".
Cara's Values
and Principles are "what we stand for". They are our foundation and the
key to our success. All teammates have a responsibility to understand these
Values and Principles, and to demonstrate them in their day to day actions
and interactions.
VALUES
Values are
fundamental beliefs. The strength of Cara is built on five core Values.
They are the essence of Cara, cherished by all teammates.
People. Cara's success begins with and endures because
of our teammates. We seek out good people, help them grow and improve
their skills, appreciate their individuality and contributions,
and celebrate their achievements.
Self-responsibility. Teammates take the
initiative to do what needs to be done. We take ownership of our work and
results, put forth our best effort, and challenge what needs to be challenged.
We hold ourselves accountable, and blame no one.
Integrity. We are committed to honesty
and doing the right thing. We say what we will do, do what we say, and acknowledge
when we are wrong or have made a mistake.
Passion for Winning. Winning is much more
than luck. It is dedication, desire, enthusiasm for competition, risk and
hard work. We set our sights on winning, and are passionate about being
first in all we do. Winners attract winners.
Quality. We set high standards, and expect
a level of achievement that says "best-in-class", so that it becomes a state
of mind and a way of life. We always give our personal best, and continually
raise the bar on excellence.
PRINCIPLES
Principles
are guides to behavior. Six Principles guide how we live our Values, and
influence the results we achieve. In everything we do, the six Principles
must be applied with balance.
Leadership. Setting the example by never compromising
our Values, always acting on our Principles, continually raising the bar
on achievement, and achieving the intended results. Inspiring others, sharing
the credit, helping without being asked, bringing a passion to the task,
and being a model for others to follow.
Team. Thinking "we" instead of
"I". Acting in the best interest of the team, working to achieve mutually
agreed upon goals, and supporting others to be the best that they can be.
Aligning personal values with Cara's Values.
Respect. Showing utmost concern
for the dignity, diversity, and worth of people. Listening to their perspective
without requiring that it agree with our own, and making sure that we understand
what they mean. Behaving in a way that is reasonable and just, and affirming
that what others think, feel and need is important.
Hospitality. Making people feel
welcome, comfortable, and valued. Seeing to their needs, sharing without
the expectation of return, and taking every opportunity to please them and
make them feel special.
Innovation. Encouraging creativity
and a sense of urgency. Gathering facts, stimulating new ideas and new ways,
thoroughly testing them, and learning from our mistakes. Working to improve,
in order to stay on the edge of what is new, doing what it takes to be competitive
and to achieve world class results.
Fun. Celebrating in the spirit
of success and happiness, being with good people and being good people, seeing
the humour and goodness in life, and taking ourselves just short of seriously.
The
most important consequence of living our Values and Principles is the trust
that we earn from one another. Trust creates the certainty that we will deliver
in any situation requiring judgment, confidentiality, discretion, support,
performance, or results, and is fundamental for success.
Success
has many factors. For Cara, success is real growth in sales and profit, continual
improvement in the equity of our brands and businesses, development of our
people to their full potential, and top ratings from all our stakeholders
- teammates, franchisees and operating associates, customers, clients and
guests, investors, business partners, and the community at large. For teammates,
success factors include being valued, receiving consistently fair treatment,
being given new opportunities when deserved, feeling part of a successful,
caring team, and achieving balance in all aspects of life. We believe that
success will flow from living our Values and Principles, and that total commitment
to them throughout Cara will mark this company and its teammates as a truly
great enterprise.
Our role in the community is based on the people of Cara
38,000 strong,living and working in communities across Canada.In running
our restaurants and food operations and serving millions of Canadians every
week,our teammates and operators contribute greatly to the life of their
communities. Our restaurants are right at the centre of community life
part of the fabric of the neighbourhood and the people of Cara
add further value as volunteers and supporters of a broad range of charities
and community activities.
To support these efforts and reinforce our positive
role,Cara is an Imagine Company,donating 1%of pre-tax pro t to charities
across Canada.Our charitable focus is health promotion,which we de
ne as activities or interventions that reduce the risk of poor health. In
fiscal 2002,Cara continued to provide leadership support to Smart Risk Foundation
for its interest in adolescent health and the Women s College Hospital
Professorship in Obstetrical Anaesthesia for its focus on safe and comfortable
births.We also provided signi cant support to other health promotion
agencies including the A Cappella,The Concerned Kids,Women s Health
Matters Forum,and Yes!International,among others.
Beyond our corporate programs,Cara s businesses
show great community leadership in supporting and sponsoring community activities
and charities re ecting their own brand promises: " Harvey
s has supported the Smart Risk Foundation for several years speci
cally sponsoring the HEROES program which reaches out to young people across
Canada and around the world,with positive messages about making smart choices.Directly
and through our operators and associates across Canada,we also support a
myriad of local charities for example,operators in Quebec have focused
on support for the Foundation for research into children s diseases.
" Swiss Chalet has shown leadership with Festive Community Days special
days during the festive season when we donated 50 cents from the sale of
Festive Special dinners and quarter chicken dinners to local children
s charities raising $60,000 in scal 2002,and supporting such
groups as Basics for Babies in B.C.,the Alberta Children s Hospital,Toys
for Tots in Ontario,Fondation Canadienne Rêvez d Enfants in Quebec,and
Christmas Daddies in Atlantic Canada.As well,Swiss Chalet oper- ators and
associates have spearheaded their own local and regional events
for example,,operators in Kitchener/Waterloo have pooled their support to
hold an annual Charity Golf Tournament raising $100,000 for The Arthritis
Society.
Summit supports a range of health and community programs
across Ontario,with a special emphasis on London,Ontario,its home base community
most signi cantly with a major commitment to the Labatt 24 Hour Relay
and the London Health Sciences Foundation (supporting hospitals).Summit
s other donations in 2002 included The Grand Theatre in London,the United
Way,Canadian Cancer Society,the Heart &Stroke Foundation and Canadian
Diabetes Association. " ATR and Cara Airport Services are active supporters
of airport community events and charitable activities for example,Airport
Services Division donates all the ight catering for Air Canada
s Dream Takes Flight program for children.ATR also lends its
support to events and charities supported by the brands in its restaurant
portfolio. " Kelsey s International continued to support children s
charities with efforts from all three brands as Kelsey
s,Montana s and Outback raised over $350,000 during the year.Every
new restaurant opening was combined with a local charity fundraiser bene
ting kids in each community raising over $100,000.Our Holiday Season
Starlight campaign raised over $120,000 for the Starlight Foundation. And
our corporate golf tournament,the Kelsey s charity golf classic raised
another $35,000 while a range of local events in every community raised $95,000.