It’s not a secret that a lot of the brands in the grocery and restaurant world are owned by the same companies. Yet it can still be shocking to find out just how much the way we eat in the United States is controlled by so few organizations. There are examples that people know well, like Yum! Brands, which owns the Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut trifecta (as well as Habit Burger & Grill). The world of sit-down chain restaurants isn’t immune either. Outback’s Bloomin’ Brands also owns Carrabba’s and Bonefish Grill, but no company owns the restaurant chain space like Darden.
Darden’s restaurant empire is huge enough that you might actually recognize the name, despite the fact none of its brands advertise the label. Darden’s biggest chain is the ubiquitous Italian-American chain Olive Garden, but it actually owns 10 different chains that cut across many different cuisines. Two other big names on that list are on opposite ends of the steak restaurant price spectrum: the more budget-friendly LongHorn Steakhouse and the higher-end destination Ruth’s Chris. Those three combined make up well more than half of the 2,100 restaurants Darden owns around the country, with Olive Garden alone having over 900 locations, while the rest of the Darden brands are a mix of newer brands and more niche or high-end restaurants.
Darren also owns Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, and The Capital Grille
If you know Darden brands beyond those big three, you might be familiar with Cheddar’s, Yard House, or The Capital Grille. Cheddar’s and Yard House were both acquired by Darden in the 2010s and lean towards casual dine-in fare. Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen specializes in country-style comfort food, with dishes like chicken fried steak, ribs, and pot pie. Yard House was an attempt to enter the world of craft beer. It boasts the world’s largest selection of beer on tap and has more of a brew-pub style menu with burgers, wings, and unique appetizers like poke nachos. Capital Grille is a more upscale steak and seafood restaurant, emphasizing higher-end dishes like oysters. It tends to be located in big city centers as opposed to the traditional suburban locations of many chain restaurants.
The final four brands owned by Darden only make up a few hundred locations combined, but they show how the company has been branching out. Among them are Chuy’s Tex-Mex and Bahama Breeze Island Grille, which features some Caribbean-inspired dishes like jerk chicken. There is also a wine-bar concept called Seasons 52. Lastly, Darden owns the luxury seafood house Eddie V’s. You can eat almost any popular style of food, and never have to venture away from a Darden brand. At the least you’ll know what type of gift card to get your most picky relatives.
