What is Darden Restaurants?

Darden, through subsidiaries, owns and operates a portfolio of full-service restaurant brands that include Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille, Eddie V's and Yard House.

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Why is the company named "Darden" Restaurants?

The company is named after Bill Darden, its founder. Bill opened the first Red Lobster in 1968, in Lakeland, Florida before selling it to General Mills in 1970.

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How long has Darden been a public company?

Darden became a public company in May 1995 as a result of a spin-off from General Mills.

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What exchange does Darden's stock trade on and what is the stock symbol?

Our stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange. Our ticker symbol is DRI.

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Who should I call if I have questions regarding an existing shareholder account with Equiniti Trust Company, Darden's transfer agent?

Questions should be directed to Equiniti Trust Company at the following address and phone number: Equiniti Trust Company, Investment Plan Services, P.O. Box 64856, St. Paul, MN 55164-0856. Telephone inquiries should be made to Equiniti Trust Company toll free at (877) 602-7596, or at (651) 450-4064. Equiniti Trust Company can also be contacted via their website.

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What are your short-term and long-term credit ratings?

Darden is rated by independent third-party agencies who assess, among other things, Darden’s financial strength, ability and willingness to repay debt, and management strength. Ratings are subject to change at any time and can be accessed at Debt Ratings page.

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What are Darden's Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) and CUSIP number?

Darden's SIC code is 5812 (Industry Group 581: Eating and Drinking Places). Darden's CUSIP (Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures) number is 237194. On the right front side of most modern certificates is a nine-character number called the 'CUSIP' number. The Committee developed the numbering system to help in the clearing of the monumental numbers of shares traded daily on U.S. and Canadian exchanges.

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Who is Darden's independent registered accounting firm?

Our independent registered accounting firm is KPMG, LLP and is located at the following address:

KPMG, LLP
111 North Orange Avenue
Suite 1600
Orlando, FL 32801

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What does the statistic "Same-Restaurant Sales" mean?

Same-Restaurant Sales comparisons track all restaurants that have been open 16 months or more. For that group of restaurants, we calculate the sales percentage increase or decrease for a comparative period (i.e., first quarter 2009 versus first quarter 2008 or fiscal year 2009 versus fiscal year 2008). Same-Restaurant Sales is a statistic widely used in the restaurant and retail industries. Synonymous terms include "sales comps" and "same-store sales."

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Are franchise opportunities available?

Darden is a growth-oriented company that, through subsidiaries, owns and operates full-service dining restaurants in the United States and Canada. We currently offer franchise opportunities in international markets and at non-traditional sites within the U.S. (e.g., airports, campuses, military bases). Please visit www.franchisedarden.com to learn more.

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What is Darden's fiscal year end?

Our fiscal year ends the last Sunday in May.

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Are other Income Statement line items, i.e., cost of sales, gross margin, SG&A, operating profit, etc. disclosed by restaurant concept?

No. We do not disclose line item information by concept. We disclose that information on a consolidated level.

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What analysts cover Darden's stock?

For a full listing, please visit our Analyst Coverage page

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When were the first Olive Garden®, LongHorn Steakhouse®, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen®, Bahama Breeze®, Seasons 52®, The Capital Grille®, Eddie V's® and Yard House® opened?

1982, 1981, 1979, 1996, 2003, 1990, 2000 and 1996, respectively

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Do you have another question that hasn't been answered?

Please submit your question here.

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