Red Lobster^® Olive Garden^® LongHorn Steakhouse^®

The Capital Grille^® Bahama Breeze^® Seasons 52^®

www.darden.com

DARDEN RESTAURANTS REPORTS SECOND QUARTER

DILUTED NET EARNINGS PER SHARE OF 43 CENTS;

ANNOUNCES QUARTERLY DIVIDEND OF 25 CENTS PER SHARE

ORLANDO, FL, Dec. 17 – Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: DRI) today reported sales and diluted net earnings per share for the fiscal second quarter ended November 29, 2009. In the second quarter, diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations increased 2% to 43 cents, versus 42 cents in the prior year.

Second quarter sales from continuing operations were $1.64 billion, compared to $1.67 billion in the prior year, a 1.6% decrease. Blended same-restaurant sales for Olive Garden, Red Lobster and LongHorn Steakhouse were down 4.7% this quarter. Excluding the impact of the Thanksgiving holiday week, which was in the fiscal second quarter this year but the fiscal third quarter last year, blended same-restaurant sales were down 3.9%, which compares to an estimated decline of 5.9% for the Knapp-Track™ benchmark of U.S. same-restaurant sales, excluding Darden.

“Our performance was competitively strong once again this quarter in what continued to be a very tough business environment,” said Clarence Otis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Darden. “We’re pleased that our same-restaurant sales results remain stronger than the average for our industry as measured by the Knapp-Track™ benchmark, and that we’re achieving these results without heavy discounting. Importantly, we’re translating our competitively strong sales into solid earnings results.”

“Our performance reflects industry leading brands and a robust brand support platform that is unmatched in full-service dining,” continued Otis. “And in continuing to highlight a broad range of brand attributes that includes but is not limited to price, we’re strengthening our long-term brand positioning with consumers. Finally, all of this is possible because of the talented teams providing direction and support for our brands outside our restaurants and delivering within our restaurants. In a difficult environment, our people are making the extra effort, and it’s paying off in greater guest satisfaction and profitable market share growth for the overall company.”

Highlights for the quarter ended November 29, 2009 include the following:

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Operating Highlights

OLIVE GARDEN’S second quarter sales of $783 million were 2.8% above prior year, driven by revenue from 32 net new restaurants, partially offset by a U.S. same-restaurant sales decline of 1.4%. For the quarter, on a percentage of sales basis, lower food and beverage expenses and restaurant expenses more than offset higher labor expenses, selling, general and administrative expenses and depreciation expenses. As a result, operating profit as a percentage of sales increased for the quarter.

RED LOBSTER’S second quarter sales of $562 million were 6.5% below prior year, driven by a U.S. same-restaurant sales decrease of 8.4%, partially offset by revenue from seven net new restaurants. For the quarter, on a percentage of sales basis, lower food and beverage expenses and restaurant expenses more than offset the company’s increased restaurant labor expenses, selling, general, and administrative expenses and depreciation expenses, resulting in an increase in operating profit as a percent of sales.

LONGHORN STEAKHOUSE’S second quarter sales of $200 million were 3.2% below the prior year, driven by a same-restaurant sales decrease of 6.2%, partially offset by revenue from nine net new restaurants. For the quarter, on a percentage of sales basis, lower food and beverage expenses and restaurant expenses more than offset the company’s increased restaurant labor expenses, selling, general, and administrative expenses and depreciation expenses. As a result, operating profit as a percentage of sales increased for the quarter.

THE CAPITAL GRILLE’S second quarter sales of $59 million were 3.0% below the prior year results, driven by a same-restaurant sales decrease of 14.2% (or 11.2% excluding the Thanksgiving holiday shift) and partially offset by the addition of six net new restaurants.

BAHAMA BREEZE’S second quarter sales of $27 million were 2.0% below prior year, driven by a same-restaurant sales decrease of 6.1% (or 4.5% excluding the Thanksgiving holiday shift) and partially offset by the addition of one net new restaurant.

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Other Actions

Darden’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of 25 cents per share on the Company’s outstanding common stock. The dividend is payable on February 1, 2010 to shareholders of record at the close of business on January 8, 2010.

Fiscal September, October and November 2009 U.S. Same-Restaurant Sales Results

Darden reported that U.S. same-restaurant sales for the fiscal months of September, October and November were as follows:

* Note: Fiscal November same-restaurant sales results were on average adversely affected by an estimated 270 basis points due to the Thanksgiving week shifting into fiscal November this year from fiscal December last year.

Fiscal 2010 Outlook

Darden announced that it expects reported diluted net earnings per share growth from continuing operations of flat to +4% in fiscal 2010 compared to reported diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations in fiscal 2009, which were $2.65. The expected range of earnings results for fiscal year 2010 is slightly improved from the outlook the Company provided in September in connection with the release of its fiscal first quarter results. The Company’s earnings expectations for fiscal year 2010 anticipate (1) blended U.S. same-restaurant sales for Red Lobster, Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse of approximately -4% to -3% in fiscal 2010, a range that is one percentage point lower on the bottom end and three points lower on the top end than the range the Company provided previously; (2) the opening of approximately 50 to 55 net new restaurants in fiscal 2010, an expansion pace which remains consistent with that disclosed previously; (3) total sales declines of between -2% and -3% in fiscal 2010, which compares to reported sales from continuing operations of $7.22 billion in fiscal 2009; and (4) more favorable costs than we anticipated in September.

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“As we anticipated, sales trends within the industry improved in our fiscal second quarter as compared to the first quarter. However, sales trends were still a little more sluggish than we expected,” said Brad Richmond, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer. “At the same time, cost trends have been more favorable than we expected. So, while we are bringing down the range of blended same-restaurant sales we expect this fiscal year, our annual earnings per share expectations remain on track with where they were in September.”

Fiscal 2009 and Fiscal 2010 Estimated Diluted Net Earnings Per Share From Continuing Operations

Darden Restaurants, Inc., (NYSE: DRI) headquartered in Orlando, Fla., is the world’s largest company-owned and operated full-service restaurant company with over $7.2 billion in annual sales and approximately 180,000 employees. Darden is recognized for a culture that rewards caring for and responding to people. Our restaurant brands — Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52 — reflect the rich diversity of those who dine with us. Our brands are built on deep insights into what our guests want. For more information, please visit www.darden.com.

Forward-looking statements in this news release are made under the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements could address future economic performance, restaurant openings, various financial parameters, or similar matters. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to materially differ from those anticipated in the statements. We wish to caution investors not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which such statements are made, and we undertake no obligation to update such statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after such date. The most significant of these uncertainties are described in Darden’s Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K reports (including all amendments to those reports). These risks and uncertainties include the impact of intense competition, changing economic or business conditions, the price and availability of food, ingredients and utilities, supply interruptions, labor and insurance costs, the loss of or difficulties in recruiting key personnel, information technology failures, increased advertising and marketing costs, higher-than-anticipated costs to open or close restaurants, litigation, unfavorable publicity, health concerns, including virus outbreaks and food safety, a lack of suitable locations, government regulations, a failure to achieve growth objectives through the opening of new restaurants or the development or acquisition of new dining concepts, weather conditions, risks associated with Darden’s plans to expand Darden’s newer concepts Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52, our ability to achieve the full anticipated benefits of the RARE acquisition, possible impairment in the carrying value of our goodwill, or other intangible assets, risks associated with incurring substantial additional debt, a failure of our internal controls over financial reporting, disruptions in the financial markets, volatility in the market value of our derivatives and other factors and uncertainties discussed from time to time in reports filed by Darden with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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DARDEN RESTAURANTS, INC.

NUMBER OF RESTAURANTS

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DARDEN RESTAURANTS, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS

(In millions, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

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DARDEN RESTAURANTS, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In millions)

(Unaudited)

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