ORLANDO, Fla., Sept 12, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: DRI) will host its Fiscal 2007 First Quarter conference call on Wednesday, September 20, at 8:30 am ET. The conference call will be broadcast live over the Internet. Clarence Otis, Chairman & CEO, and other senior management invite you to listen to a discussion of first quarter results. The subjects to be covered may also include forward-looking information, such as the outlook for the current month or quarter, and the company's previously- announced earnings guidance. Questions may be posed to management by participants on the call and in response the company may disclose additional material information.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050203/FLTH026LOGO )

A copy of our press release announcing our earnings, the Form 8-K used to file the release with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and any other financial and statistical information about the period covered in the conference call, including any information required by Regulation G, will be available under the heading "Investor Relations" on our website at www.darden.com.

To listen to the call live, please go to the following website at least fifteen minutes early to register, download, and install any necessary audio software. For those who cannot listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available shortly after the call.

     What:     Darden Restaurants, Inc. First Quarter Earnings Conference Call

     When:     8:30 am ET, Wednesday, September 20, 2006

     Where:    http://www.videonewswire.com/event.asp?id=35576

     How:      Live over the Internet - Simply log on to the web at the
               address above

As the largest casual dining restaurant company in the world, Darden Restaurants, Inc. owns and operates over 1,400 Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, Smokey Bones BBQ, and Seasons 52 restaurants with annual sales of $5.7 billion. Darden is headquartered in Orlando, FL.

SOURCE Darden Restaurants, Inc.

Analysts, Matthew Stroud, +1-407-245-6458, or Media, Jim DeSimone, +1-407-245-4567,
both of Darden Restaurants, Inc.

http://www.prnewswire.com

Copyright (C) 2006 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.

News Provided by COMTEX