Great Service. Great Seafood. Now that's what we call enjoying the best of the sea.

Whether your family comes together over a big plate of succulent crab legs, you celebrate life's special moments by dipping into Lobster Fondue or you mark your calendar for Lobsterfest year after year, Red Lobster is undoubtedly where America goes for great tasting seafood.

Company founder Bill Darden tested his entrepreneurial skills at the ripe old age of 19. That was when he opened a restaurant concept of a different color called The Green Frog.

From the very beginning, Bill Darden’s restaurants focused on quality and service. He also thought there’d be great consumer appeal for a restaurant that specialized in seafood. Darden and his team opened Red Lobster in Lakeland, Florida in 1968. One member of the first restaurant’s management team is our former Chairman and CEO, Joe Lee.

Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar is the largest casual dining concept in America, both in terms of number of restaurants and market share. As of Dec. 25, 2005, there were 1,804 Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurants, of which 1,318 were operated by franchisees and 486 were operated by the company.