Darden Restaurants To Host Its FY04 First Quarter Conference Call On The Internet

September 17, 2003

ORLANDO, Fla., Sep 17, 2003 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ --

Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: DRI) will host its Fiscal 2004 First Quarter conference call on Wednesday, September 24, at 5:30 p.m. (E.D.T.). The conference call will be broadcast live over the Internet. Joe Lee, Chairman and CEO, and other senior management invite you to listen to a discussion of first quarter results.

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 Release

    When:      5:30 p.m. (E.D.T.), Wednesday, September 24, 2003

    Where:     http:/www.firstcallevents.com/service/ajwz388801583gf12.html

    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 1,200 Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, Smokey Bones BBQ, and Seasons 52 restaurants with annual sales of $4.6 billion. Darden is headquartered in Orlando, FL.

SOURCE Darden Restaurants, Inc.

Analysts, Matthew Stroud, +1-407-245-6458, or Media, Jim
DeSimone, +1-407-245-5192, both of Darden Restaurants
/Company News On-Call:  http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/105228.html
http://www.darden.com

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