Darden Restaurants, Inc. operates as a full-service restaurant company.
As of May 25, 2025, the company owned and operated various restaurants through subsidiaries in the United States and Canada under the Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Chuy’s, Yard House, Ruth’s Chris Steak House (Ruth’s Chris), The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood (Eddie V’s), Bahama Breeze, and The Capital Burger trademarks. As of May 25, 2025, the company also had restaurant...
Darden Restaurants, Inc. operates as a full-service restaurant company.
As of May 25, 2025, the company owned and operated various restaurants through subsidiaries in the United States and Canada under the Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Chuy’s, Yard House, Ruth’s Chris Steak House (Ruth’s Chris), The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood (Eddie V’s), Bahama Breeze, and The Capital Burger trademarks. As of May 25, 2025, the company also had restaurants operated by independent third parties pursuant to area development and franchise agreements and 4 restaurants operating under contractual agreements.
On October 11, 2024, the company acquired 100 percent of the equity interest of Chuy’s Holdings, Inc.
During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, the company entered into an agreement with Recipe Unlimited, Canada’s largest full-service restaurant company, pursuant to which Recipe Unlimited will acquire Olive Garden’s eight Canadian restaurants. These restaurants will be franchise-owned and will operate as members of the company's Olive Garden International family. Recipe Unlimited is headquartered in Toronto, operating restaurants in more than 300 communities across Canada.
Segment Information
The company manages its restaurant brands in North America as operating segments. The brands operate principally in the U.S. within full-service dining.
The company operates through four segments: Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Fine Dining (which includes Ruth’s Chris, The Capital Grille and Eddie V’s) and Other Business (which includes Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Chuy’s, Yard House, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, The Capital Burger and ongoing royalties and other fees from its franchise operations and contractually managed locations).
Restaurant Brands
Olive Garden
Olive Garden is an internally developed brand and is the largest full-service dining Italian restaurant operator in the United States. Olive Garden offers a variety of Italian foods featuring fresh ingredients presented simply with a focus on flavor and quality, and a broad selection of imported Italian wines. In 1982, Olive Garden opened its first restaurant in Orlando, Florida.
Most dinner menu entree prices range from $12.00 to $23.50, and most lunch menu entree prices range from $9.50 to $11.50. Olive Garden maintains different menus across its trade areas to reflect geographic differences in consumer preferences, prices and selections, as well as a smaller portioned, lower-priced children’s menu.
LongHorn Steakhouse
LongHorn Steakhouse is a full-service steakhouse restaurant brand with locations primarily in the eastern United States, operating in an atmosphere inspired by the American West. LongHorn Steakhouse restaurants feature a variety of menu items including signature fresh steaks and chicken, as well as salmon, shrimp, ribs, pork chops and burgers.
Most dinner menu entree prices range from $14.00 to $41.00, and most lunch menu entree prices range from $9.00 to $12.00. LongHorn Steakhouse maintains different menus for dinner and lunch and different menus across its trade areas to reflect geographic differences in consumer preferences, prices and selections, as well as a smaller portioned, lower-priced children’s menu.
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen is a full-service restaurant brand operating primarily in Texas and throughout the southern, mid-western and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The casual dining menu features modern classics and American favorites cooked from scratch. Each entree includes a honey butter croissant.
Most dinner menu entree prices range from $10.00 to $23.00, and most lunch menu entree prices range from $9.00 to $11.00. Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen features different menus across its trade areas to reflect geographic differences in consumer preferences, prices and selections, as well as a smaller portioned, lower-priced children’s menu.
Chuy’s
Chuy’s is a full-service restaurant brand offering a distinct menu of authentic, freshly-prepared Mexican and Tex-Mex inspired food. The restaurants have common decor, but each location is unique in format, offering an ‘unchained’ look and feel, as expressed by the motto ‘If you’ve seen one Chuy’s, you’ve seen one Chuy’s!’.
Most menu entree prices range from $11.00 to $21.00. The core menu was established using recipes from family and friends of the founders and has remained relatively unchanged over the years. Chuy’s offers the same menu for both lunch and dinner, which includes enchiladas, fajitas, tacos, burritos, combination platters and salads complemented by a variety of appetizers and desserts. All meals include free chips and salsa.
Yard House
Yard House is a full-service restaurant brand operating in metropolitan areas across the United States and is known for great food, classic rock and over 100 draft beer offerings. The American menu includes more than 100 chef driven items with a wide range of appetizers, burgers and steaks, street tacos, salads, sandwiches and a generous selection of vegetarian dishes.
Yard House design elements create a contemporary, yet casual, come as you are environment. Most lunch and dinner menu entree prices range from $10.00 to $54.00. Yard House maintains different menus and selections of craft beers across its trade areas to reflect geographic differences in consumer preferences, prices and selections, as well as a smaller portioned, lower-priced children’s menu.
Ruth’s Chris
Ruth’s Chris is one of the largest fine dining steakhouse restaurant brands in the world. The menu features a broad selection of high-quality USDA Prime and Choice grade steaks and other premium offerings served in Ruth’s Chris’ signature fashion —sizzling— complemented by other traditional menu items inspired by its New Orleans heritage. Ruth’s Chris complements its distinctive food offerings with an award-winning wine list.
Most dinner menu entree prices range from $40.00 to $85.00, and most lunch menu entree prices range from $16.00 to $65.00. Ruth’s Chris offers different menus for dinner and lunch and varies its wine list to reflect geographic differences in consumer preferences, prices and selections.
The Capital Grille
The Capital Grille is a fine dining restaurant brand with locations primarily in major metropolitan cities in the United States featuring relaxed elegance and style. The Capital Grille opened its first restaurant in 1990, and the company acquired The Capital Grille in October 2007 as part of the RARE acquisition. Nationally acclaimed for dry aging steaks on the premises, the restaurants feature an award-winning wine list offering over 350 selections, personalized service, a comfortable club-like atmosphere, and premiere private dining rooms.
Most dinner menu entree prices range from $40.00 to $95.00, and most lunch menu entree prices range from $23.00 to $53.00. The Capital Grille offers different menus for dinner and lunch and varies its wine list to reflect geographic differences in consumer preferences, prices and selections.
Seasons 52
Seasons 52 is an internally-developed full-service restaurant brand with a casually sophisticated, fresh grill and wine bar that offers a seasonally changing menu with all items under 595 calories. The menu includes an international collection of wines, along with exceptional signature handcrafted cocktails.
Most lunch and dinner menu entree prices range from $12.50 to $51.00. Seasons 52 maintains an all-day menu in addition to different seasonal offerings, a pared-down lunch menu and a happy-hour menu.
Eddie V’s
Eddie V’s is a fine dining restaurant brand with locations in major metropolitan cities in the United States, with a sophisticated and contemporary ambiance, featuring live music trios nightly in the V Lounge. Dishes are artistically prepared and feature seasonal seafood and critically acclaimed prime steaks, hand cut and broiled to perfection. The atmosphere provides an alluring dining experience reminiscent of a modern day Gatsby, infusing an indulgent experience with an irresistible vibe.
Most dinner menu entree prices range from $41.00 to $116.00. Eddie V’s menu features a premium selection of seafood and hand-cut steaks, and each restaurant offers unique wine and spirit selections that reflect local preferences, in addition to the brand’s core wine & cocktail offerings.
Bahama Breeze
Bahama Breeze is an internally-developed full-service restaurant brand operating primarily in the eastern United States that offers guests the feeling of a Caribbean escape, with food, drinks and atmosphere found in the islands. The menu features distinctive, Caribbean-inspired fresh seafood, chicken and steaks as well as handcrafted tropical cocktails.
Most lunch and dinner menu entree prices range from $10.50 to $39.00. Bahama Breeze maintains different menus across its trade areas to reflect geographic differences in consumer preferences, prices and selections, as well as a smaller portioned, lower-priced children’s menu.
The Capital Burger
The Capital Burger is an internally-created, development-stage full-service restaurant concept with locations primarily in major metropolitan cities in the United States that offers guests a luxe burger experience. The Capital Burger opened its first restaurant in 2018. The menu features burgers made with a proprietary beef blend, sandwiches and appetizers. It is a bar-centric concept offering local craft beers, a unique wine list and spiked shakes. Multiple items take from the parentage of The Capital Grille, like the signature Doli, a pineapple-infused martini.
Most lunch and dinner menu entree prices range from $18.00 to $36.00. The Capital Burger maintains an all-day menu in addition to a happy hour menu.
Sourcing and Distribution
Ensuring available, safe, high-quality food and supplies at competitive prices to all the company's restaurants depends on reliable sources of procurement. The company's sourcing staff sources, negotiates, and purchases food and supplies from more than 1,400 suppliers, whose products originate in more than 30 countries. The company leverages competitive bids, long-term contracts, and strategic supplier relationships to manage the availability and cost of products.
The company enters into long-term agreements with multiple third-party national distribution companies to deliver food and supplies to its restaurants. Under these arrangements, the company maintains ownership of the food and supplies inventory through its subsidiary Darden Direct Distribution, Inc. (Darden Direct), managed by third-party distribution partners.
Integrated Marketing
The company's restaurants appeal to a broad spectrum of consumers. To further strengthen its brands, the company focuses on highlighting what makes each one unique. Accordingly, the company's brands evaluate each marketing activity through three filters. The first filter involves elevating brand equity by bringing each brand’s competitive advantages to life. The second filter is simple execution, allowing the company's teams to deliver consistently memorable guest experiences. And finally, it will not be at a deep discount. The company is focused on providing great value to its guests but doing so in a way that drives profitable sales growth.
Integrated marketing is key to bringing the company’s brands to life, and its scale enables it to be a leading advertiser in the full-service dining segment of the restaurant industry. Olive Garden leverages the efficiency of national advertising, on both traditional and streaming television, supplemented with targeted digital media investments. LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, The Capital Grille, Chuy’s, Seasons 52, Eddie V’s and Bahama Breeze also use digital marketing to build engagement and loyalty.
In fiscal 2024 (year ended May 26, 2024), the company continued a multi-year effort to implement new technology platforms that allow it to digitally engage with its guests and team members and strengthen its marketing and analytics capabilities. The company also continued making improvements to its online and mobile ordering and payment systems across all of its brands. In addition, the company continued working on developing sophisticated customer relationship management programs, data analytics and data-driven marketing approaches to effectively and efficiently target its existing and potential guests across its portfolio of brands. This enables the company to tailor its messaging and offerings depending on guest visit history, preferences and brand loyalty. Finally, the company has developed and consistently use sophisticated consumer marketing research techniques to monitor guest satisfaction and evolving food service trends and marketplace dynamics.
Trademarks and Service Marks
The company regards its Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Chuy’s, Yard House, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, Bahama Breeze, The Capital Burger, Darden and Darden Restaurants service marks, and other service marks and trademarks related to the company’s restaurant businesses, as having significant value and as being important to its marketing efforts.
Franchises, Joint Ventures and New Business Development
As of May 25, 2025, the company owned and operated 2,159 restaurants through subsidiaries in the United States and Canada. The company owns all of those locations, except for 5 restaurants it manages through joint venture or other contractual agreements.
As of May 25, 2025, franchisees operated franchised restaurants in the United States and franchised restaurants outside of the United States. The company has area development, franchise and/or license agreements in place with unaffiliated operators to develop and operate Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, Ruth’s Chris, The Capital Grille and Bahama Breeze restaurants in the following regions: •United States (including Puerto Rico and Guam), Canada, Mexico, Central and South America (Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala and Panama), Asia (Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan and India), Caribbean (Aruba, Jamaica, Bahamas, Barbados and Cayman Islands), Europe (Spain), and Middle East (Saudi Arabia and Qatar).
The company licenses the sales and distribution of several items including Olive Garden salad dressings, salad croutons and seasoning through various channels including wholesale distribution chains and major grocery chains.
Seasonality
The company's sales volumes have historically fluctuated seasonally. The company's average sales per restaurant are highest in the winter and spring, followed by the fall and summer.
Government Regulation
The company’s facilities must comply with the applicable requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and related state accessibility statutes.
As a merchant and service provider of point-of-sale services, the company is also subject to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard issued by the Payment Card Industry Council (PCI DSS).
The company is subject to anti-corruption laws in the United States and in the international jurisdictions where the company do business, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
History
Darden Restaurants, Inc. was founded in 1968. The company was incorporated in 1968.