Darden's Cost Edge Still Stands, but Weak Sentiment and Rising Costs Keep Pressure Elevated
Although broader macro pressures remain a near-term headache, we think Darden Restaurants is poised to steal share in the US full-service dining industry long-term. Its largest casual-dining concepts, Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, continue to benefit from compelling value propositions. Ongoing investments in operations, guest experience, and new unit development should enable Darden to outperform in a mature, highly fragmented category, with 63% of sales held by independent operators, per Euromonitor. We forecast 5.8% system sales growth for Darden over the next five years, besting our 3% outlook for the broader full-service industry.
United States