---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0000940944-22-000014"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "DRI"
cik: "0000940944"
company_name: "DARDEN RESTAURANTS INC"
filed_at: "2022-03-24T23:59:59+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-06-26T19:10:39.048858+00:00"
event_type: "earnings"
sentiment: "positive"
materiality_score: 0.8
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.8
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# Darden reports Q3 sales $2.45B (+41.3% YoY), EPS $1.93 vs $0.98; updates FY22 outlook

## Summary
- Total sales $2.45B (+41.3% YoY); diluted EPS $1.93 vs $0.98; blended same-restaurant sales +38.1%.
- Olive Garden same-restaurant sales +29.9%, LongHorn +31.6%, Fine Dining +85.8%.
- Declared quarterly dividend $1.10/share; repurchased 2.7M shares for $382M in Q3.
- Updated FY22 outlook: sales $9.55-$9.62B, EPS $7.30-$7.45; capex ~$425M.
- New CEO Ricardo Cardenas effective May 30; base salary $1M, target bonus 150%, equity grant $5M.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0000940944-22-000014
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: DRI
- cik: 0000940944
- company_name: DARDEN RESTAURANTS INC
- filed_at: 2022-03-24T23:59:59+00:00
- event_type: earnings
- sentiment: positive
- materiality_score: 0.8
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.8
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 2.02, 5.02, 9.01
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/940944/000094094422000014/0000940944-22-000014-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/940944/000094094422000014/dri-20220323.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000940944-22-000014
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000940944-22-000014.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000940944-22-000014.txt

## Key facts
- Executive change
  Ricardo Cardenas was appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer at DARDEN RESTAURANTS INC.
  - Action: appointed
  - Role: President and Chief Executive Officer
  source text: the Company announced that Mr. Ricardo Cardenas, the Company’s current President and Chief Operating Officer, was appointed by the Board of Directors of the Company (the Board) to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company effective May 30, 2022.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/940944/000094094422000014/0000940944-22-000014-index.htm
- Executive change
  Eugene I. Lee, Jr. was appointed as Executive Chairman at DARDEN RESTAURANTS INC.
  - Action: appointed
  - Role: Executive Chairman
  source text: the Company also announced that Mr. Eugene I. Lee, Jr. would retire as Chief Executive Officer effective May 29, 2022 and was appointed by the Board to serve as Executive Chairman of the Company effective May 30, 2022.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/940944/000094094422000014/0000940944-22-000014-index.htm

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.