Olive Garden parent company Darden beats estimates, raises outlook

Darden Restaurants on Friday reported quarterly earnings and revenue that beat Wall Street’s expectations, as consumers continued to eat out despite pressure from inflation.

The company also raised its earnings outlook for fiscal 2023 to a range of $10.3 billion to $10.45 billion from its previous range of $10.2 billion to $10.4 billion.

Here’s what the company reported for the fiscal second quarter ended Nov. 27, compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by Refinitiv:

• Earnings per share: $1.52 adjusted vs. $1.44 expected.
• Revenue: $2.49 billion vs. $2.43 billion expected.

Darden’s total sales rose 9.4% compared with the same quarter last year.

Darden CEO Rick Cardenas said in the company’s earnings release he’s pleased with the company’s results this quarter and said all of their brands “performed at a high level,” saying that the company “surpassed $10 billion in sales on a trailing 52-week basis for the first time in Darden’s history.”

Olive Garden, which accounts for nearly half of Darden’s revenue, saw same-store sales increase 7.6%, while overall same-store sales rose 7.3% for the company.

The company’s restaurants also include The Capital Grille and LongHorn Steakhouse.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.