Dive Brief:
- Olive Garden President Dan Kiernan will retire on Aug. 31, parent company Darden said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Friday.
- Darden’s board of directors appointed John Wilkerson, president of its Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen unit, to Kiernan’s role, starting in September. Wilkerson will become president-elect of Olive Garden on June 23 and no longer serve in his post at Cheddar’s. Wilkerson will work alongside Kiernan until his retirement to “ensure a smooth leadership transition,” the filing said.
- Wilkerson has been with Darden for 30 years. He helped rebuild fundamentals at Cheddar’s that positioned the concept for growth, Darden CEO Rick Cardenas said Friday during the company’s earnings call.
Dive Insight:
Wilkerson’s move is part of several executive changes Cardenas mentioned on Friday.
Mark Cooper, president of Darden’s Seasons 52 and Bahama Breeze chains, will lead Cheddar’s as its next president, Cardenas said. Laurie Casler, who has run operations at Season 52 for 11 years, will become its president.
Casler and Cooper will report to John Martin, Darden’s group president, who will also oversee Yard House, Capital Grille and Eddie V’s. Cooper will also lead Bahama Breeze, which Darden is considering selling.
Thomas Hall, who has been executive vice president at Longhorn for seven years, was also named president of Chuy’s. He will report to Todd Burrowes, a new group president responsible for Chuy’s, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Darden development and international franchisees, Cardenas said.
Kiernan, who has been with Olive Garden for 33 years, has been president of Olive Garden since January 2018, according to Darden’s website. He began his career at Olive Garden in 1992 as a manager in training and worked his way through the system, holding various leadership positions, including executive vice president of operations for more than six years. Prior to Olive Garden, he worked at Marie Callender’s for 13 years.
“For the last seven years, [Kiernan] has led Olive Garden to new heights and has been a tremendous steward of the brand,” Cardenas said. “Dan and his team have generated strong business momentum, and following the successful completion of their five-year business plan, Olive Garden is well positioned for this leadership transition.”
Olive Garden reported 6.9% same-store sales growth during the company’s fiscal Q4 2025, according to an earnings release. Darden’s consolidated results were also strong with same-store sales up 4.6% during the quarter, distancing it from competitors such as Denny’s, IHOP and Applebee’s, which posted negative comps.
