Darden Restaurants has reported sales growth for its fiscal 2026 (FY2026) second quarter (Q2) and lifted its revenue outlook for the full year.
The company’s sales totalled $3.1bn in the three months to 23 November, a 7.3% increase from the prior year.
Same-store sales grew 4.3%, supported by gains across major brands.
Olive Garden, Darden’s largest chain, recorded a 4.7% rise in same-restaurant sales while LongHorn Steakhouse logged a 5.9% rise.
The group’s “other business” segment posted same-store sales growth of 3.1%.
Same-restaurant sales in Darden’s fine-dining division, which includes Ruth’s Chris and The Capital Grille, were up 0.8%.
The group registered a net income of $237.2m in Q2 FY2026, or $2.03 per share, compared with $215.7m or $1.82 per share a year ago.
On an adjusted basis, excluding costs tied to restaurant closures and the acquisition of Chuy’s, diluted earnings from continuing operations were $2.08 per share in the quarter.
The company said closure-related charges were largely linked to the permanent shutdown of 22 underperforming outlets during Q4 FY2025.
Darden has now raised its forecast for full-year same-restaurant sales growth to a range of 3.5% to 4.3%, from a prior projection of 2.5% to 3.5%.
However, it maintained its guidance for adjusted diluted earnings per share for FY2026 at $10.50 to $10.70.
Darden president and CEO Rick Cardenas said: "The second quarter exceeded our top-line expectations as every segment delivered positive same-restaurant sales.
"Our restaurant teams did a great job of being brilliant with the basics, driving record or near-record guest satisfaction scores across all our brands. Despite facing significant commodity headwinds, we leveraged our four competitive advantages to provide strong value for our guests, and we made appropriate investments in the business to ensure long-term success."
Darden has been expanding delivery options through its relationship with Uber. It uses Uber Direct’s network to provide on-demand delivery for Olive Garden nationwide.
In March, the company began an on-demand delivery trial with Uber Technologies at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen.
