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Now available for preorder:
The San Francisco Panorama.

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M O S T   C E N S O R E D P R E S S   R E L E A S E S O F   1 9 9 9   ( T H U S   F A R ) . - - - - Bob Mock Named President Of Smokey Bones BBQ, Darden's Exciting New Restaurant Venture - - - - ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Robert W. Mock, Executive Vice President Operations for Olive Garden and 30-year Darden veteran, has been named President of Darden Restaurants' exciting new venture, Smokey Bones BBQ and Hometown Sports Bar. Mock, 47, will report to Blaine Sweatt, President of Darden's New Business Division, which recently opened the new startup restaurant. "Bob is an exceptional leader with proven operations skills. He has been a key partner with Olive Garden President Brad Blum and has made significant contributions to the incredible success of Olive Garden," said Joe Lee, Chairman & CEO of Darden Restaurants. "He is exactly the right person to lead Smokey Bones in this very exciting industry niche." Mock has earned a reputation for sharp operations focus and outstanding leadership skills. His many contributions to Darden Restaurants began at Red Lobster in 1969. What started as a two-week job stretched into a three-decade career with Darden Restaurants, including his most recent assignment, Executive Vice President Operations for Olive Garden. Smokey Bones BBQ and Hometown Sports Bar is Darden's newest venture. It combines an all-American sports bar with great tasting barbecue favorites in a rugged cabin-themed atmosphere. The menu includes barbecue beef, smoked pork, baby-back ribs, pork spareribs and barbecue chicken. To round out the menu, there are steaks, grilled fish and steamed vegetable entrees. Thirty-eight televisions with tableside speakers provide great sports viewing. There are also pool tables, video sports games and darts in an adjoining room and Internet access tableside. "Smokey Bones offers exactly the right opportunity for me," Mock said. "It's a great concept with no national leader in the segment. It translates well across the country, and I do love barbecue." Said Lee, "We are fortunate to have deep talent at Darden Restaurants and Bob is one of the best. His high standards, commitment to people and impeccable integrity make him an outstanding choice to lead Smokey Bones." Darden Restaurants, Inc. headquartered in Orlando, Florida, owns and operates 1,121 Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and Bahama Breeze restaurants with annual sales of $3.5 billion. SOURCE Darden Restaurants, Inc.

- - - - MAIN PAGE | ARCHIVES Memories of Amanda Davis Red dot denotes content that is new today. Black dot denotes newish content. McSWEENEY'S STORE SUBSCRIBE TO: McSWEENEY'S THE BELIEVER WHOLPHIN FUTURE McSWEENEY'S BOOKS THE AMANDA DAVIS HIGHWIRE FICTION AWARD INVITE A McSWEENEY'S AUTHOR TO SPEAK IN YOUR TOWN OR COLLEGE THE BEST AMERICAN NONREQUIRED READING McSWEENEY'S MONTHLY MAILING LIST BOOKSTORES WITH A McSWEENEY'S DISPLAY McSWEENEY'S-RELATED EVENTS AND VARIOUS TOUR DATES ORDER INQUIRIES AND ADDRESS CHANGES SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: FOR BOOKS FOR THE QUARTERLY FOR THE WEBSITE FOR WHOLPHIN McSWEENEY'S INTERNSHIPS CONTACT US - - - - LETTERS TO McSWEENEY'S LISTS McSWEENEY'S RECOMMENDS REVIEWS OF NEW FOOD NEW WHOLPHIN FILM DAN LIEBERT, VERBAL CARTOONIST TEDDY WAYNE'S UNPOPULAR PROVERBS NON-ESSENTIAL MNEMONICS BITCHSLAP: A COLUMN ABOUT WOMEN AND FIGHTING DISPATCHES FROM A GUY TRYING UNSUCCESSFULLY TO SELL A SONG IN NASHVILLE GLOBAL WAR ON BEDBUGS: LETTERS FROM BEDBUG CITY THE CONFLICTED EXISTENCE OF A FEMALE PORN WRITER OH MY GAWD: A COLUMN ABOUT A TEENAGER NAVIGATING RELIGION DISPATCHES FROM MANILA DISPATCHES FROM AN INDIAN CASINO THE CONVERGENCES CONTEST CHRIS WHITE ANSWERS PROFOUND QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PRESIDENTS REPORTS FROM THE PINBALL SCENE LETTERS FROM THE HELLBOX NOTES FROM AN AMATEUR SPECTATOR AT AMATEUR MIXED MARTIAL ARTS FIGHTS B.R. COHEN'S DAYS AT THE MUSEUM CONVERSATIONS AT A WARTIME CAFÉ AND HERE'S THE KICKER: MIKE SACKS'S CONVERSATIONS WITH HUMOR WRITERS GRANT MUNROE'S CORPORATE FOLKTALES SARAH WALKER SHOWS YOU HOW DISPATCHES FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL LAWYER WHO IS TRYING TO GROW A MUSTACHE DISPATCHES FROM A HANGDOG BANKRUPT DISPATCHES FROM THE CAPITAL DISPATCHES FROM INDIA THE WINNER'S CIRCLE WITH ERIC FEEZELL SEAN MICHAELS LISTENS TO MUSIC IN MONTREAL SHORT IMAGINED MONOLOGUES KIDS' LETTERS TO PRESIDENT OBAMA STAINED TEETH: A COLUMN ABOUT WINE YOUR MONEY, YOUR JOB ... YOUR LIFE, WITH ALISON ROSEN KEVIN DOLGIN TELLS YOU ABOUT PLACES YOU SHOULD GO IN EUROPE ABOUT THE WILD THINGS ABOUT THE CONVALESCENT ABOUT FEVER CHART ABOUT GOD SAYS NO ABOUT ZEITOUN LETTERS FROM AN EARTH BALL TO, OR CONCERNING, SEAN HANNITY E-MAILS SENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FLAG-FOOTBALL TEAM TRAVELING EUROPE IN STYLE WITH AUCKLAND DINGIROO, DARK-AGE TOURIST AND CRITIC OF FOOD AND DRINK JOHN MOE'S POP-SONG CORRESPONDENCES INTERVIEWS WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE INTERESTING OR UNUSUAL JOBS FLIP: A COLUMN ABOUT SKATEBOARDING OPEN LETTERS TO PEOPLE OR ENTITIES WHO ARE UNLIKELY TO RESPOND DISPATCHES FROM A PUBLIC LIBRARIAN MICHAEL IAN BLACK IS A VERY FAMOUS CELEBRITY DAN KENNEDY SOLVES YOUR PROBLEMS WITH PAPER STEPHEN ELLIOTT'S POKER REPORT - - - - ADDITIONAL MATERIAL