Darden Restaurants

Darden Restaurants

Darden Restaurants, Inc. is an American multi-brand restaurant operator headquartered in Orlando, Florida. The firm owns several casual dining restaurant chains: Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52 and Eddie V's Prime Seafood.

History

Darden Restaurants was founded by Bill Darden when he was just 19 years old. The first restaurant he opened was a 25-seat luncheonette in Waycross, Georgia called The Green Frog. Darden's first chain restaurant, Red Lobster, was opened in Lakeland, Florida in 1968. In 1970, General Mills acquired Red Lobster and expanded it nationwide. In 1995, General Mills spun off its restaurant division into Darden Restaurants.

Brands

Darden Restaurants operates several brands of restaurants, each with its own unique cuisine and atmosphere. These include:

• Olive Garden: A casual dining restaurant chain specializing in Italian-American cuisine. It is the largest chain of Italian-themed restaurants in the United States.
• LongHorn Steakhouse: A casual dining restaurant chain that is centered around a Western theme and serves various kinds of steak, as well as other meats, seafood, and pasta.
• Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen: A casual dining restaurant chain that offers a variety of made-from-scratch dishes.
• Yard House: A sports bar chain that has a broad menu of American fusion cuisine, and a large selection of beers.
• The Capital Grille: A fine dining restaurant chain that offers dry aged steaks, fresh seafood, and an extensive wine list.
• Bahama Breeze: A casual dining restaurant chain that features Caribbean-inspired seafood, chicken, steaks, and tropical drinks.
• Seasons 52: A grill and wine bar that offers a seasonal menu inspired by the fresh appeal of a farmer's market and what's good now.
• Eddie V's Prime Seafood: A fine dining restaurant chain that focuses on upscale seafood dishes and prime steaks.

See also

• List of food companies
• List of casual dining restaurant chains
• List of restaurant chains in the United States