Darden Restaurants (DRI) Q2 2026 earnings
An Olive Garden restaurant in Milpitas, California, USA on Tuesday, December 16, 2025.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Darden Restaurants On Thursday, Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse reported strong sales growth, driven by demand.
The company raised its full-year outlook for revenue growth for the second quarter in a row, but only reiterated its earnings forecasts.
“The second quarter exceeded our top-line expectations as every segment delivered positive same-restaurant sales,” said Darden CEO Rick Cardenas. in a statement.
The company’s shares rose more than 4% in premarket trading.
Here are the company’s reported results compared to Wall Street expectations, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
- Earnings per share: $2.08, expected $2.10
- Revenue: $3.1 billion, expected $3.07 billion
Darden reported fiscal second-quarter net income of $237.2 million, or $2.03 per share, compared to $215.1 million, or $1.82 per share, a year earlier.
The restaurant company earned $2.08 per share, excluding restaurant closing costs and expenses related to its acquisition of Chuy’s.
net sales It increased by 7.3% to $3.1 billion.
Darden’s same-store sales rose 4.3% in the quarter, according to StreetAccount, topping Wall Street forecasts of 3%.
Olive Garden, which accounts for about 44% of Darden’s quarterly sales, reported same-store sales growth of 4.7%. The Italian chain’s popular Never Ending Pasta Bowl promotion took place this quarter.
LongHorn Steakhouse saw same-store sales growth of 5.9%. Although Olive Garden still surpasses LongHorn in terms of restaurant footprint, the steakhouse chain’s sales are growing faster.
The company’s other business segment reported 3.1% growth in same-store sales. 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, bucked the industry squeeze, posting 0.8% same-store sales growth. The fine dining segment overall has struggled as consumers spend less when dining out and many companies cut back on business lunches and other expenses.
Darden now expects total sales growth for fiscal 2026 to be 8.5% to 9.3%, down from its previous forecast of 7.5% to 8.5%. The fiscal year includes the 53rd week, which is expected to contribute around 2%. The company reiterated its adjusted earnings forecast of $10.50 to $10.70 per share.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
