Darden Restaurants Inc
XMUN:DDN
Decide at what price you'd be comfortable buying and we'll help you stay ready.
|
D
|
Darden Restaurants Inc
XMUN:DDN
|
US |
|
Banco Santander SA
MIL:1SANX
|
ES |
|
W
|
Warner Bros Discovery Inc
SWB:J5A
|
US |
|
Tabcorp Holdings Ltd
ASX:TAH
|
AU |
|
Abb Ltd
F:ABJA
|
CH |
|
JPMorgan Chase & Co
LSE:0Q1F
|
US |
|
Pacific Biosciences of California Inc
NASDAQ:PACB
|
US |
|
Fastenal Co
NASDAQ:FAST
|
US |
|
BXP Inc
NYSE:BXP
|
US |
|
JCDecaux SE
PAR:DEC
|
FR |
|
S
|
SD Guthrie Bhd
KLSE:SDG
|
MY |
|
R
|
RH
DUS:RS1
|
US |
|
Kraft Heinz Co
NASDAQ:KHC
|
US |
|
Equinix Inc
NASDAQ:EQIX
|
US |
|
Best Buy Co Inc
NYSE:BBY
|
US |
|
F
|
Ftai Infrastructure Inc
NASDAQ:FIP
|
US |
Darden Restaurants Inc
Darden Restaurants is a full-service restaurant company that owns and runs a portfolio of casual dining brands, including Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and several other sit-down restaurant chains. It sells prepared food and drinks to everyday diners who want a meal served at the table, not a takeaway concept. The company makes money mainly from customer spending at its restaurants, with each brand aimed at a different meal occasion and price point. The business sits in the middle of the restaurant value chain: it does not just franchise a concept, it also manages many of the restaurants, the menus, purchasing, staffing, and guest experience. That gives Darden tight control over food quality, service style, and brand presentation. Its scale helps it buy ingredients, equipment, and other supplies for a large network of restaurants, which is important in a business where margins depend on careful cost control. Darden’s main customers are families, couples, and groups looking for a familiar sit-down meal, often for lunch, dinner, or special occasions. Its revenue comes from guest checks at company-run restaurants and, where applicable, franchise-related fees. What makes the model distinct is the combination of strong branded restaurant names with centralized management, so the company can spread recipes, operations, and buying power across many locations while keeping each brand’s identity clear.
Darden Restaurants is a full-service restaurant company that owns and runs a portfolio of casual dining brands, including Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and several other sit-down restaurant chains. It sells prepared food and drinks to everyday diners who want a meal served at the table, not a takeaway concept. The company makes money mainly from customer spending at its restaurants, with each brand aimed at a different meal occasion and price point.
The business sits in the middle of the restaurant value chain: it does not just franchise a concept, it also manages many of the restaurants, the menus, purchasing, staffing, and guest experience. That gives Darden tight control over food quality, service style, and brand presentation. Its scale helps it buy ingredients, equipment, and other supplies for a large network of restaurants, which is important in a business where margins depend on careful cost control.
Darden’s main customers are families, couples, and groups looking for a familiar sit-down meal, often for lunch, dinner, or special occasions. Its revenue comes from guest checks at company-run restaurants and, where applicable, franchise-related fees. What makes the model distinct is the combination of strong branded restaurant names with centralized management, so the company can spread recipes, operations, and buying power across many locations while keeping each brand’s identity clear.
Quarter: Darden said results were in line with expectations, with $3.2 billion in sales, up 5.1%, and comparable-calendar same-restaurant sales growth of 3.2%.
Brand trends: Each segment delivered positive same-restaurant sales. LongHorn grew 6.8%, Yard House grew 10%, and Olive Garden grew 1%.
Guidance: Darden reaffirmed its fiscal 2027 outlook, including diluted earnings per share of $11.10 to $11.35.
Sales drivers: Sales trends improved through the quarter and into September as World Cup and lettuce-related headwinds eased, alongside brand initiatives such as Olive Garden’s Never-Ending Pasta Bowl.
Margins: Consolidated restaurant-level EBITDA margin was 18.8%, flat year over year; LongHorn margin rose 60 basis points while Olive Garden’s declined 20 basis points.
Growth: Yard House plans 13 openings this fiscal year, including Bahama Breeze conversions, and Darden described high-single-digit long-term unit growth goals for Yard House and Chuy’s.
Costs: The company expects 3% commodity inflation for the year and said pricing should moderate from 3.7% in Q1 to low-to-mid-2% levels by Q4.