Through a spokesman, the company says the departures of the two executives are coincidental and unrelated to the financial health of the company which calls itself the world's largest casual seafood dining organization.

The departures come as Darden plans to add another 10 restaurants encompassing about 200,000 sf to the 30-unit Bahama Breeze division in 2003 and 25 units totaling an estimated 250,000 sf to the 20-unit Smokey Bones division.

Heckel headed Bahama Breeze. Mock ran Smokey Bones. He has been a Darden executive for 30 years. Darden vice chairman Dick Rivera will run Bahama Breeze until a replacement for Heckel is found. Heckel, meanwhile, becomes a consultant to Darden for an unspecified period.