In 1938, when he was just 19 years old, he opened a luncheonette in his hometown of Waycross, Georgia.
Lunch counters, diners, soda fountains and candy stores were then seen as the way to go.
Darden took this path, naming his luncheonette The Green Frog, and advertising it as "Service with a Hop."
And he defied the laws of his Southern State by refusing to segregate his customers based on race.
The Green Frog became successful enough that Darden was able to invest in Howard Johnson restaurants and hotels, mostly in Florida.
He chose Lakeland, a small city with, as the name suggests, many nearby lakes, but well inland from Tampa.
General Mills started the Olive Garden chain of Italian-themed restaurants in 1982, and it became nearly as successful as Red Lobster. »
