Mark has a long tenure at Darden of helping brands accelerate growth. Most recently, he served as President of Seasons 52 and Bahama Breeze. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President of Finance for Darden’s Specialty Restaurant Group (SRG), where he was responsible for protecting the business model and long-term financial vibrancy for The Capital Grille, Eddie V’s, Seasons 52, Bahama Breeze and Yard House.
Mark started his Darden career in 1997 as a member of the Investor Relations and New Business team. Since then, he has held a number of positions with increasing responsibility and has led multiple enterprise-wide initiatives including the establishment of the Darden Business Analytics function. Before leading finance for the SRG, Mark served as Senior Vice President, Finance for Olive Garden.
Mark received a bachelor’s degree in Advertising and an MBA with a concentration in Finance from Florida State University. Darden owns and operates more than 2,000 Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Eddie V’s and Bahama Breeze restaurants in North America
Mark Cooper
President, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen
Mark Cooper was named President of Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen in June 2025. Mark leads a company with more than 180 restaurants, nearly 16,000 team members and $745 million in annual sales.