ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Darden Restaurants, Inc., announced Monday that Darden Vice Chairman Brad Blum will assume interim day-to-day leadership responsibilities at the company's fast-growing Smokey Bones BBQ Sports Bar restaurants. At the same time, Smokey Bones President Bob Mock is leaving his role as president of the barbecue restaurant company and senior vice president of Darden Restaurants and is taking a personal leave of absence to address personal and family priorities.
Blum, whose responsibilities include Olive Garden restaurants, Smokey Bones BBQ and Darden's purchasing, distribution and total quality operations, will now also serve as acting president of Smokey Bones.
"Bob is a premier operator and restaurant leader. He has served Darden Restaurants with extraordinary service and professionalism for over 30 years, moving from one intensive assignment to another," said Joe Lee, Chairman of Darden Restaurants. "He is taking some time to address personal and family priorities. Now as we continue to grow Smokey Bones, Brad's deep marketing and brand development experience will help guide Smokey Bones' rapid growth."
Mock helped strengthen the Canadian market for Red Lobster and also worked closely with Blum at Olive Garden. He became president of Smokey Bones upon its launch in 1999.
After initial concept testing, Smokey Bones began its national expansion in fiscal 2002. The restaurant mixes great tasting barbecue with mountain lodge comfort and exciting sports action. Smokey Bones grew to 19 restaurants and $42.4 million in sales in its first year of the national expansion. Darden plans to more than double the size of the restaurant company in fiscal 2003.
"We believe Smokey Bones has almost unlimited opportunity that one day could become as large as Olive Garden or Red Lobster," said Blum, who is credited with Olive Garden's turnaround in the 1990s and 31 consecutive quarters of increased same restaurant sales at the Tuscan-themed restaurant. He assumed vice chairman duties this spring. "I look forward to working with a strong Smokey Bones operating team on the next phase of development as we find a successor that can carry on the great work Bob has done to launch this restaurant company."
Blum, 48, joined Darden Restaurants from General Mills in 1994 and helped secure Olive Garden's leading position in the Italian casual dining market. He will take over day-to-day operations of Smokey Bones effective immediately.
As the largest casual dining restaurant company in the world, Darden Restaurants, Inc., owns and operates over 1,100 Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Bahama Breeze and Smokey Bones BBQ restaurants with annual sales of $4.02 billion. Darden is headquartered in Orlando, FL.
Forward-looking statements in this news release, if any, are made under the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Certain important factors could cause results to differ materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements, including the impact of changing economic or business conditions, the impact of competition, the availability of favorable credit and trade terms, the impact of changes in the cost or availability of food and real estate, government regulation, construction costs, weather conditions and other factors discussed from time to time in reports filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.