Darden Restaurants (DRI) Q2 2026 earnings

Darden Restaurants On Thursday, it reported strong sales growth, helped by demand at Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse.

For the second straight quarter, the company raised its full-year revenue growth forecast, though it only reiterated its earnings forecast.

“The second quarter exceeded our expectations, with every segment achieving positive same-restaurant sales,” Darden CEO Rick Cardenas said in a statement.

The company’s shares rose more than 4% in pre-market trading.

Here’s what the company reported compared to what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts conducted by LSEG:

• Earnings per share: $2.08 adjusted versus $2.10 expected
• Revenue: $3.1 billion versus $3.07 billion expected

Darden reported fiscal second-quarter net income of $237.2 million, or $2.03 per share, up from $215.1 million, or $1.82 per share, a year earlier.

Excluding restaurant closing costs and expenses related to its acquisition of Chuy’s, the restaurant company had earnings of $2.08 per share.

Net sales It rose by 7.3% to $3.1 billion.

Darden’s same-store sales rose 4.3% in the quarter, beating Wall Street estimates of 3%, according to StreetAccount.

Olive Garden, which accounts for approximately 44% of Darden’s quarterly sales, posted same-store sales growth of 4.7%. The Italian chain’s popular Never Ending Pasta Bowl promotion ran during the quarter.

LongHorn Steakhouse saw same-store sales growth of 5.9%. While Olive Garden still outnumbers LongHorn based on its number of restaurants, the steakhouse chain’s sales are growing faster.

The company’s other business segment had same-store sales growth of 3.1%. The business unit includes Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen and Yard House.

Darden’s fine dining business, which includes Ruth’s Chris and The Capital Grille, saw same-store sales grow 0.8%, outpacing the segment’s distress. The fine dining sector overall has struggled as consumers spend less when dining out and many companies cut back on business lunches and other expenses.

For fiscal 2026, Darden now expects total sales to grow 8.5% to 9.3%, up from its previous forecast of 7.5% to 8.5%. The fiscal year includes the 53rd week, which is expected to contribute approximately 2%. The company reiterated its forecast for adjusted earnings in the range of $10.50 to $10.70 per share.

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