Red LobsterRed Lobster is a very successful restaurant chain offering a variety of seafood dishes. This casual restaurant was founded and operated by Bill Darden. The company is headquartered in Florida, and has subsidiaries in Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Canada and Japan. Red Lobster has become a household name and has gained a good customer base over the years. This led to Red Lobster accounting for 43% of the market share in the casual seafood restaurant chain's division. The company has an approximate number of 705 branches spread across different countries around the world. Red Lobster now offers a range of seafood products including fresh fish, shrimp, lobster and spider crab. The company was founded in 1968, with the goal of providing a place where Americans could get seafood. Mr. Darden also reached out to employers, creating facilities where they could relax from the toils of the day. History and Development of Red Lobster Charley Woods and Bill Darden had the idea to create a restaurant in 1968. They named the company Harbor for Seafood Lovers. It was the first restaurant in Florida, and other branches soon opened throughout the state. This was in the 1970s and at the time their main competitor was a restaurant called Kitchen Stove. The company has been successful in providing its customers with fresh and new seafood delicacies. These fresh dishes became popular and this accelerated the growth of the company and in the 1980s the company made its presence in Canada. The Canadian experience was not positive for Red Lobster due to the losses incurred in Canada. The competition was so high in Canada, and due to inadequate strategies and lack of market information, the company was unable to do well and was forced to close some of its branches in Quebec, Canada. This occurred in September 1997. In 1995, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and Bahamas Breeze were integrated as part of Darden Restaurants Inc. Joe Lee was then serving as CEO and later turned the company over to Clarence Otis. The company is passionate about seafood and, over the years, has initiated a culture of innovation with the aim of introducing and developing new menus that meet the needs of its customers. The company offers a friendly and pleasant environment for dining, and celebrations.