The Southern Eatery That Birthed A Restaurant Empire

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It's hard to imagine the casual dining restaurant industry without staples like Olive Garden and Red Lobster. Although offering very different fare, what Olive Garden and Red Lobster have in common is being former siblings under Darden Restaurants. While it stands as a multi-branded restaurant empire, the Darden family of restaurants actually had humble beginnings as The Green Frog in Georgia. Despite being a modest Southern eatery, founder William "Bill" Darden's original restaurant created the foundation for what would evolve into one of the largest full-service restaurant companies.

Let's rewind a bit: It was 1938 when a 19-year-old Bill Darden opened his maiden venture, The Green Frog, in Waycross, Georgia. The family-style luncheonette sat 25 patrons in its various booths and stools. With a motto that promised "service with a hop," The Green Frog offered an extensive menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including salads, as well as steak, chicken, and seafood entrees.

Though The Green Frog closed its doors in 1981, its business was successful enough that Darden was able to branch out, eventually becoming a Howard Johnson franchisee. From here, the story gets a little choppy as to how quickly it happened. However, by most accounts, after investing in Gary's Duck Inn in Orlando, Florida, it was here Darden found inspiration for his next venture with a seafood-based menu. That venture happened to be the first Red Lobster restaurant in Lakeland, Florida, in 1968. By 1970, General Mills, the company behind many food brands, saw the restaurant's potential and purchased it, making Darden an executive within the company. The backing of a company with the stature of General Mills allowed Darden to grow Red Lobster and open his next big endeavor, Olive Garden, in 1982. By 1995, General Mills spun the restaurant chains into Darden Restaurants, named after its founder. 

While Red Lobster may have been a founding brand, it hasn't been part of the Darden family since 2014. After 76 years, the seafood chain and its delicious Cheddar Bay Biscuits were sold to Golden Gate Capital for a cool $2.1 billion. That may leave Olive Garden as the remaining flagship Darden brand, but it's still counted among many recognizable chains like Capital Grill, Yardhouse, and Longhorn Steakhouse. In 2024, Darden added the tex-mex chain, Chuy's, to its roster of restaurants. Given the Orlando-based institution's legacy, it's hard to believe it all started with a frog.