<Tr> <Th> Website </Th> <Td> darden.com </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Footnotes / references </Td> </Tr> <P> Darden Restaurants, Inc. is an American multi-brand restaurant operator headquartered in Orlando . As of April 2017, the firm owns two fine dining restaurant chains: Eddie V's Prime Seafood and The Capital Grille; and six casual dining restaurant chains: Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, Yard House and Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen (the latter having been acquired on April 24, 2017). Until July 28, 2014, Darden also owned Red Lobster . Darden has more than 1,500 restaurant locations and more than 150,000 employees, making it the world's largest full - service restaurant company . As of 2012, Darden is the only Fortune 500 company with its corporate headquarters in Greater Orlando . </P> <P> William (Bill) Darden opened his first restaurant, The Green Frog, in his hometown of Waycross, Georgia in 1938 at age 19 . The restaurant, which grew quickly, formed the basis of the organization that later became known as Darden Restaurants . He later founded the Red Lobster Inns of America and opened the first Red Lobster restaurant in Lakeland, Florida in 1968 . Darden chose Lakeland because he wished to see how a seafood restaurant would fare in a non-coastal region, and Lakeland was the innermost city in Florida . The initial Red Lobster franchise was applauded by diners and critics alike . The store became successful and by 1970 had expanded to three locations in the state with two more under construction . While the locations were profitable, the company lacked the resources to expand further, so Darden sold the company to food giant General Mills that year . </P>

Is red lobster still a part of darden