Mark Cooper was named President of Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52 in May 2024. He leads the two brands that are part of Darden Restaurants’ Specialty Restaurant Group (SRG) and generate more than $500 million in annual sales. Additionally, Mark has responsibility for Finance for the SRG.
Most recently, he was Senior Vice President of Finance for the 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.