Get to know Rick Cardenas, the Darden CEO who started there as a busser

Rick Cardenas got his first job when he was 16, serving as a busser at Red Lobster. Four decades later, Cardenas is the CEO of the company that once owned Red Lobster, Darden Restaurants, whose portfolio now includes Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Chuy’s, Ruth’s Chris, The Capital Grille, and more.

Cardenas is the perfect example of the opportunity that restaurants provide, not only as a great destination for teenagers looking for their first job, but also as an opportunity to climb the career ladder and go from busser to the board room.

In the fourth edition of Nation’s Restaurant News’ platform Signature: A CEO Series with Sam Oches, the publication’s editor-in-chief sits down with Cardenas at an Orlando Olive to Garden to learn more about his career path and the advice he has for other aspiring restaurant leaders.

Watch the interview above, and get to know Cardenas better below.

What's your go-to order at a Darden concept?

It’s at The Capital Grille. It's a Porcini-Rubbed Rib Eye with 15-year Aged Balsamic. It will change your life if you like red meat.

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This might be like picking your favorite child, but do you have a favorite Darden concept?

Well, I have triplets in real life. I love them equally and I love them unconditionally. And so when we added Ruth’s Chris, it was [like having] nonuplets and when we added Chuy’s it was decuplets. And I love all those kids equally — not unconditionally. That's the difference; they have to perform for me to love them. I don't have a favorite brand. I really don't. I have a favorite menu item at every brand. That'll take too long to explain.

Besides Darden’s restaurants, what is your favorite restaurant?

I don't necessarily have a favorite restaurant. One of my kids is autistic, and he likes certain things. And so whenever I go out to eat, I either go out with my wife or my son, who’s in our house. I don't choose; I make enough decisions every day. I'll veto, but I don't pick. And so mostly if I'm with him, I know one or two places that we're going and they're great brands. One of them is Cheesecake Factory. And I will say one thing I admire about Cheesecake Factory is during COVID, when every restaurant company simplified, Cheesecake Factory didn't. They knew what their brand was, and I admire that.

What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?

Well, it used to be hang out with my kids. Now they're generally adults. I've been married for over 30 years, so the other [thing] is whatever my wife wants to do. But if she doesn't want to do anything, I have a classic car in my garage that I tinker with.

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What is your favorite sport or team to root for?

I'm a baseball fan born in New York, so I'm a Yankee fan.

If you've got a long flight ahead of you, what do you turn to: a podcast, album, book, or a show/movie?

If I don't sleep, I'll watch a movie. Generally something funny.

What was the last TV show you binged?

My wife doesn't like to binge because she wants to watch one show and then wait for a couple of days, watch the next one. But the one that we've binged the most would be “Only Murders in the Building.”

What is one resource that you couldn’t live without as a business leader?

My team. I think I've got the best team there is, and that's a resource. Most people would say some kind of a book or something else, but if I didn't have the team I have, I wouldn't be where I am.

Who is one figure, living or dead, that you most admire?

Abraham Lincoln. He made a really tough choice that actually ended up costing his life —and it was the right choice, by the way. I'd love to ask him what went through his mind to make that decision.

Besides e-mail, what is the app on your phone that you spend the most time on?

I like doing things to keep my mind busy, and so the New York Times Games app. I'll spend junk time looking at that. [I’ll do] Crossword. I used to do Wordle, I don't do it as much now. My wife does. There's something called Spelling Bee, which is kind of fun. Anything that keeps my mind thinking.

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What is one fact about yourself that maybe even your colleagues don't know?

I was in a high school musical. I had two singing solos.

If you were not the CEO of a restaurant company, what would you be?

An architect. I grew up wanting to be one and I drew houses my whole life. I helped design the house I live in now. I just like building things. I like seeing how things come together.

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