Darden's core values show the philosophy and culture which will deliver on their core purpose - "to nourish and delight everyone we serve."" [Joe Lee, CEO, Darden Restaurants] .
One of the most popular restaurants under the Darden umbrella is Red Lobster, the world's number one casual dining seafood restaurant. Its first site was opened in 1968 in Lakeland, Florida. Part of the success of Red Lobster is the combination of quality and affordability. In 1970 Red Lobster expanded and would open another restaurant that would further build its success, The Olive Garden. In 1982 Darden opened the Italian-themed restaurant in Orlando, Florida. Today, Olive Garden leads in full-service, casual Italian dining. Bahama Breeze was opened in 1996 serving Caribbean food along with island drinks with a bright, tropical setting. Bahama Breeze's atmosphere is based on the idea of the "2-hour island vacation."" [Multex 2003] The newest addition to the Darden family is Smokey Bones, a barbecue sports bar opened in 1999 with new ventures on the agenda. Currently, Darden is testing the waters for a new restaurant called Season's 52, a contemporary dining experience with fresh, healthy dishes. [TWST, 2002].
The Darden restaurants have won several awards and received recognition in the areas of service and quality, cuisine and beverages, and website recognition. In 2001 Olive Garden's website won the Astrid Award and Gold Astrid Award, recognizing outstanding achievement in design communications. (Darden 2001) The website was also recognized in 2001 by the Foodservice Innovation Network. The Wall Street Journal has awarded Red Lobster with one of the three best wine lists in casual dining in 2002. In the same year, Nation's Restaurant News recognized Red Lobster for their innovative menus. Restaurant Hospitality Magazine granted Smokey Bones' president, Brad Blum, with the Concepts of Tomorrow Award in 2002.
