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Working at Darden Restaurants

Zippia score 4.4

Overview

JobsSalaryRevenueReviewsHistoryDemographicsCompetitorsCEO & ExecutivesSubsidiariesFAQs

Darden Restaurants overview

Industry
Hospitality
Revenue
$11.4B
Headquarters
Orlando, FL
Employees
175,000
Founded in
1968
Website
Organization type
Public
CEO
Eugene Lee Jr.
Social media

Darden Restaurants is a hospitality company focusing on full-service dining, restaurant operations, and diverse cuisine offerings. Established in Orlando, Florida, the company has a strong presence across the United States and Canada with over 2,100 restaurants. Their popular brands include Olive Garden, Red Lobster, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Yard House, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, Eddie V's Prime Seafood, and Wildfish Seafood Grille. Darden Restaurants takes pride in owning and operating all of its establishments except for six locations in Florida and California.

Under the leadership of CEO Eugene Lee Jr., Darden Restaurants has become an industry leader with a workforce of 175,000 employees and an impressive annual revenue of $9.6 billion. The company boasts a diverse demographic with 57.6% female and 37.2% ethnic minority employees. With a commitment to employee satisfaction, Darden Restaurants enjoys excellent staff retention, averaging 3.8 years per employee.

Darden Restaurants's mission statement

Darden Restaurants, our core purpose is to nourish and delight everyone we serve.

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4.0/5

Darden Restaurants employee reviews

Based on 28 ratings

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Darden Restaurants employee reviews

Darden Restaurants employee reviews
4.0/5

Based on 28 ratings

Work at Darden Restaurants? Share your experience.
Employee reviews
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2.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2024
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

Good benefits

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

Horrible non experienced managers with a huge egos. No room to move up nor become CT.

Darden Restaurants benefits

None

What do you like best about Darden Restaurants's CEO and the leadership team?

None just horrible experience

How would you improve Darden Restaurants's culture?

Improve management expectations and policies

What brings you the most joy at Darden Restaurants?

Best part was leavening that toxic work environment, when your mentally unstable from an environment it’s time to gon

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3.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2024
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

Extensive opportunity for professional growth and development.

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

There is a lack of communication between management and difficulty adhering to company policies and procedures.

Darden Restaurants benefits

The salary is generous compared to other management positions within the industry.

What brings you the most joy at Darden Restaurants?

Helping others and creating a positive and memorable experience for both the guest and staff.

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4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2024
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

Great Benefits, Great work-life balance, opportunity to make money

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

Repetitive

Darden Restaurants benefits

health care

What do you like best about Darden Restaurants's CEO and the leadership team?

Very kind and understanding. They work with you rather than against you.

How would you improve Darden Restaurants's culture?

I would improve the communication between managers and staff.

How did you prepare for the Darden Restaurants interview?

I prepared by having at least one to two questions about the work environment and what they are looking for in an employee.

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2.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2023
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

The staff that was not in management are amazing and fun to work with

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

management is always so stress, they will be rude to customers and tell employees to "find another manager" The do not jump in to help and take initiative until you start closing so they can leave. if your good at your job you will be expected to do more with no pay raise

Darden Restaurants benefits

you can go home with 25-75 bucks in cash a night even not being a server.

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2023
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

Great Managers

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

Weight lifting !

Darden Restaurants benefits

Location, schedule flexibility, and variety of duties .

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2023
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

I like meeting new people everyday, and putting smiles on customers faces.

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

I don’t like that I do not get a break.

Darden Restaurants benefits

Free food, and I also get to talk to the customers and suggest meals to them.

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4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2023
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

Team work environment

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

No public transportation during evening shift

Darden Restaurants benefits

Bonus pay opportunity

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2022
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

It’s a very nice work environment

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

The money is not the best

Darden Restaurants benefits

A lot of good food

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4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2022
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

My coworkers really made it a great place to work, free food, good atmosphere.

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

Some managers can be incompetent, some days can be very stressful, wildly flexible schedule.

Darden Restaurants benefits

Free food.

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2021
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

The employees

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

Some of the employees did not like doing their job and put it off on others

Darden Restaurants benefits

Free food

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3.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2021
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

consistent, mid-level skill ceiling

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

high volume, management, work/life balance

Darden Restaurants benefits

401K match

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4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2021
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

It's a good place to work when you need quick money but I need more for myself.

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

It's not a fair work schedule.

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2021
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

The people and experience

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

Not knowing how much money you will make in a day

Darden Restaurants benefits

Tips and meeting new people

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3.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2021
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

coworkers and have great managers

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

low paying for the hard work I do

Darden Restaurants benefits

discount at all Darden restaurants and great food

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3.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2021
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

Flexible schedule

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

Not enough recognition

Darden Restaurants benefits

Able to attend school at the same time

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4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2021
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

Flexible schedule. Decent above minimum wage pay.

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

Hardly any opportunity for advancement

Darden Restaurants benefits

Discount at Darden restaurants

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3.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2021
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

It will help me achieve my goals

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

The job is tiring

Darden Restaurants benefits

It help me to be the person I am today

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2020
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

Sociable colleagues; Company credit union; Discounts at large retail stores/restaurants

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

Understaffed scheduling; non-flexible hours

Darden Restaurants benefits

Retirement options

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2020
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

I loved meeting new people and being able to help plan events for all my clients.

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

No opportunities to advance

Darden Restaurants benefits

One of the most constant and important factors in my life is helping others.

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4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2020
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

Understanding management, skill building opportunities, loose but professional environment

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

Lack of managers

Darden Restaurants benefits

Personalized scheduling

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2020
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

Guest interaction and managing team members and making guests happy.

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

Not enough flexibility

Darden Restaurants benefits

Benefits, competitive pay

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4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

Management is great. Flexible schedule. Easy to make money.

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

Rude customers. Bad tippers.

Darden Restaurants benefits

Flexible schedules.

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

Work Culture. Great Benefits. Flexible Hours

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

Long Hours

Darden Restaurants benefits

Stock Options. Employee Discounts

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

Care for employees all around good company to work for.

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

Work-life balance

Darden Restaurants benefits

Food

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2.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

Good money from tips

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

Management is unreliable with schedules, even if they mess up your schedule it's your job to fix it when they can't do the most basic job of a manager.

Darden Restaurants benefits

Paid daily

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4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

Benefits, structure, growth

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

Hours and intensity. Workload

Darden Restaurants benefits

Healthcare and bonus plan

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3.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019
Pros of working at Darden Restaurants

Guest are very nice and most of the time tipped well

Cons of working at Darden Restaurants

Managers

Darden Restaurants benefits

Schedule flexibility

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A reddit user wrote a review on May 2013
what was the interview like? i have an interview to be a dishwasher at olive garden later today

Its not anything hard, just show up and look professional, be polite, the usual stuff you have practiced for ( that is if you have practiced for an interview) also from my expirence, Darden Managers are either picky or easy going. The job is simple but hard work. Good luck bro!

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A reddit user wrote a review on Jan 2013
Have you ever witnessed something extremely *** up happen to food before it being served?

Actually, never...in Redlobster the crew will even "harvest" food that has been slightly over cooked and will not server anything messed up to our customers. It is quite amazing. (By harvest...aslong as it is safe to eat and not burnt to hell...the food is Donated to food banks)

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A reddit user wrote a review on Jul 2012
What is the strangest thing that's ever happened to you while on the job? What is something you would reccommend to not eat?

I can't really think of one single strangest thing, but I used to have a lady that was somewhat regular order takeout, and she wouldn't even really use the menu. I mean, she'd start out by telling me what entre she wanted, and then modify it until it was something completely different. Then she had the nerve to ask one of the hosts if I was new since it was taking long for me to ring it all in. Then once I rang it in I had to deal with the understandably pissed off line cooks. This happened about once a week. Oh and she always demanded extra salad for free. And there's not really anything I would say to stay away from, just some things are overpriced. I CAN tell you that the best deal on the menu is kids chicken fingers with mac n cheese. It somes with breadsticks, a side, a drink, and a salad, and is about the same price as a salad by itself.

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A reddit user wrote a review on Jul 2012
I bartended there for 4 years. What did you have for your employee meal today?

Did you get a free meal each day when you worked there? We don't. We only get 50% off when we're working. I usually skip lunch. A.k.a. Pick at the salad and sneak soup when the manager isn't looking

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A reddit user wrote a review on Jul 2012
Have you ever gotten revenge on a terrible customer?

Nope. In fact, most terrible customers get their way. If they're very demanding, the manager usually gives them a gift card so they'll shut up.

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The team at Darden Restaurants

  • The founders of Darden Restaurants is Bill Darden.
  • The key people at Darden Restaurants are Eugene Lee Jr. and Bill Darden.
Key people
Eugene Lee Jr.
Bill Darden
The inside scoop
Darden, located in Orlando, FL, is a restaurant company featuring a portfolio of differentiated brands that include Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Bahama Breeze and Eddie V's. Its subsidiaries operate more than 1,700 restaurants and employ more than 175,000 people. Darden delivers outstanding food, drinks and service in an inviting atmosphere.

Darden Restaurants rankings

Darden Restaurants is ranked #29 on the Best Hospitality companies to work for in Florida list. Zippia's Best Places to Work lists provide unbiased, data-based evaluations of companies. Rankings are based on government and proprietary data on salaries, company financial health, and employee diversity.

Read more about how we rank companies.

Darden Restaurants salaries

Average Darden Restaurants salary
$14.93
hourly
$31,062 yearly
Updated March 14, 2024

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Darden Restaurants diversity

9.8
Diversity score
We calculated Darden Restaurants’s diversity score by measuring multiple factors, including the ethnic background, gender identity, and language skills of Darden Restaurants’s workforce.
Darden Restaurants diversity summary. Zippia estimates Darden Restaurants's demographics and statistics using a database of 30 million profiles. Zippia verifies estimates with BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. We calculated Darden Restaurants's diversity score by measuring multiple factors, including the ethnic background, gender identity, and language skills of Darden Restaurants's workforce.
  • Darden Restaurants has 175,000 employees.
  • 58% of Darden Restaurants employees are women, while 42% are men.
  • The most common ethnicity at Darden Restaurants is White (63%).
  • 16% of Darden Restaurants employees are Hispanic or Latino.
  • 12% of Darden Restaurants employees are Black or African American.
  • The average employee at Darden Restaurants makes $31,062 per year.
  • Darden Restaurants employees are most likely to be members of the democratic party.
  • Employees at Darden Restaurants stay with the company for 3.8 years on average.

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Darden Restaurants financial performance

8.0
Performance score

We calculated the performance score of companies by measuring multiple factors, including revenue, longevity, and stock market performance.

Darden Restaurants currently has 10.5B in revenue. Darden Restaurants's most recent quarter produced 2.7b (q1'2024).

Darden Restaurants annual revenue

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Highest paying Darden Restaurants competitors

Compare Darden Restaurants salaries to competitors, including Yum! Brands, Dunkin Brands, and The Capital Grille. Employees at Yum! Brands earn the highest average yearly salary of $48,128. The salaries at Dunkin Brands average $47,084 per year, and the salaries at The Capital Grille come in at $37,600 per year.
RankCompanyAverage salaryJobs
1$48,1280
2$47,0840
3$37,6000
4$33,1970
5$32,9730
6$32,5070
7$31,8390
8$31,6080
9$31,4600
10$30,5080
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    Updated March 14, 2024

    Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Darden Restaurants, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Darden Restaurants. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Darden Restaurants. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Darden Restaurants. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Darden Restaurants and its employees or that of Zippia.

    Darden Restaurants may also be known as or be related to Darden, Darden Concepts, Inc., Darden Restaurants, Darden Restaurants Inc, Darden Restaurants, Inc., olive garden and Longhorn Steakhouse.