Fast food diners switch to casual chains, Darden CEO says

Customers arrive at an Olive Garden location in San Antonio, Texas.Callaghan O'Hare | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesCasual-dining chains are gaining customers who have grown frustrated with higher fast-food prices, Darden Restaurants CEO Rick Cardenas said on Thursday.While Darden itself hasn't benefited from the shift, its competitors, like Chili's owner...

Read more...

Darden Restaurants (DRI) Q4 2024 earnings

Olive Garden Italian restaurant sign showing company logo, Spokane Valley, Washington, owned by Darden Restaurants Incorporated headquartered in Florida. Universal Images Group | Getty ImagesDarden Restaurants on Thursday reported mixed quarterly results as Olive Garden's same-store sales fell for the second consecutive quarter.Shares of the company rose more than 1%...

Read more...

Sweetgreen, Chipotle and Wingstop aren’t seeing a consumer slowdown

A food delivery messenger carries a take-out bag outside a Sweetgreen in Manhattan, New York City, on Sept. 14, 2023.Jeenah Moon | The Washington Post | Getty ImagesHigh-income consumers helped Chipotle Mexican Grill, Wingstop and Sweetgreen report strong sales this quarter, bucking the broader consumer slowdown that's been hurting...

Read more...