Darden Restaurants

Darden Restaurants, Inc.
Company typePublic
IndustryRestaurant
PredecessorGeneral Mills Restaurants (1970–1995)
FounderWilliam Darden
HeadquartersOrlando, Florida, U.S.
Number of locations
2,181 (2024)
Area served
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • Costa Rica
  • El Salvador
  • Mexico
  • Panama
  • United States
Key people
ServicesFoodservice
RevenueIncrease US$11.4 billion (2024)
Increase US$1.31 billion (2024)
Increase US$1.03 billion (2024)
Total assetsIncrease US$11.3 billion (2024)
Total equityIncrease US$2.24 billion (2024)
Number of employees
191,105 (2024)
Divisions
Websitedarden.com
Footnotes / references
Financials as of May 26, 2024.[1]

Darden Restaurants, Inc. is an American multi-brand restaurant operator headquartered in Orlando, Florida.[1] Darden has more than 1,800 restaurant locations and more than 175,000 employees, making it the world's largest full-service restaurant company.[2] The company began as an extension of Red Lobster, founded by William Darden and initially backed by General Mills. Red Lobster was later sold in July 2014.

The firm owns three fine dining restaurant chains: Ruth's Chris Steak House, Eddie V's Prime Seafood, and The Capital Grille; and seven casual dining restaurant chains: Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, Yard House, and Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen. In July 2024, Darden agreed to acquire Chuy's.[3]

  1. ^ a b "Darden FY 2024 Annual Report (Form 10-K)". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  2. ^ "Darden Brand Book" (PDF). www.franchisedarden.com. 2020. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 18, 2021.
  3. ^ DURBIN, DEE-ANN. "Darden Restaurants buys Tex-Mex chain Chuy's for $605 million". ABC News. Retrieved July 18, 2024.