How long has Darden been in business?
Bill Darden, the company’s founder, opened his first restaurant in 1938 in Waycross, Ga. It was a 25-foot-by-30-foot luncheonette named “The Green Frog” that featured “Service with a Hop.” He opened the first Red Lobster in 1968 in Lakeland, Fla. General Mills acquired Red Lobster in 1970 before spinning off Darden Restaurants, Inc. in 1995 as a publicly traded company. For a look at the history of Darden, please click here.
