1968 - Restaurants

Restaurants

The Red Lobster seafood restaurant chain has its beginnings in a place opened under that name at Lakeland, Fla., by veteran restaurateur William Darden, 55, who started his career at age 19 as manager, night cook, waiter, and counter server of a small lunch counter called The Green Frog at Waycross, Ga. Darden saved his money, acquired other restaurants in Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida, and 5 years ago joined with some partners to buy the landmark Orlando seafood house Gary's Duck Inn. His no-frills Red Lobster (an advertising agency has come up with the name) employs 30 to 40 people from the outset, its low prices quickly attract hordes of customers, the partners have to remodel it within a month to accommodate the crowds, and the chain will grow to have 350 restaurants nationwide.

Marriott Corp. creates Roy Rogers Family Restaurants in cooperation with cowboy singer Rogers, now 56, who will help develop it into an 800-store chain featuring roast-beef sandwiches (see Marriott, 1927).