Darden Restaurants, Inc. Announces New Board Member

ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Darden Restaurants, Inc.
(NYSE: DRI) has elected Victoria D. Harker, executive vice president and chief
financial officer of The AES Corporation, to its board of directors effective
November 2, 2009. AES is a Fortune 500 global power company with generation
and distribution businesses.

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"Victoria Harker brings a wealth of leadership experience and a diverse
perspective to our board of directors," said Clarence Otis, Darden's chairman
and chief executive officer. "Her expertise in all aspects of financial
management and corporate strategy will be tremendous assets to our board and
to our company as we continue to grow our industry-leading portfolio of
brands."

Harker, 44, has served as executive vice president and chief financial officer
for AES since 2006.

"Darden's brands are well-known and well-respected throughout the industry. I
look forward to working with the board as Darden continues to execute its
growth strategy," said Harker.

Before joining AES, Harker served as the acting chief financial officer and
treasurer of MCI from November 2002 through January 2006, and chief financial
officer of MCI Group, a unit of World Com Inc., from 1998 to 2002. Prior to
that, she held several positions at MCI in the areas of finance, information
technology and operations.

About Darden Restaurants
Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: DRI), the world's largest full-service
restaurant company, owns and operates nearly 1,800 restaurants that generate
more than $7 billion in annual sales. Headquartered in Orlando, and employing
180,000 people, 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.

SOURCE Darden Restaurants Inc.: General

Analysts, Matthew Stroud, +1-407-245-6458; or Media, Rich Jeffers,
+1-407-245-4189, both of Darden Restaurants, Inc.