Darden Restaurants started out as the Red Lobster Inns of America when the first Red Lobster branch was opened in 1968 in Lakeland, Florida. Lakeland was particularly chosen by the founder William Darden because he wanted to see how the concept would do in a non-coastal area. And since Lakeland was Florida’s innermost city, it was the perfect location. Darden was successful with his little experiment and so saw the opening of two more locations in the state in just a couple of years. Unfortunately, that’s the best Red Lobster can do because it has limited resources.
General Mills bought Red Lobster in 1970, growing the company to nearly 400 locations within 15 years. In 1982, the concept store for Olive Garden opened in Orlando, eventually giving the company the distinction of being the largest Italian-themed full-service restaurant chain in the country. It was in 2007 when Darden Restaurants acquired Rare Hospitality, a restaurant holder based in Atlanta, gaining access to LongHorn Steakhouse. Other acquisitions soon followed, including Eddie V’s and Yard House. Other restaurants under the Darden name include Seasons 52, Bahama Breeze, and The Capital Grille. Darden Restaurants owns and operates all the restaurants listed as its subsidiaries except for three situated in Central Florida. These restaurants are owned through joint ventures and are simply managed by Darden Restaurants.