Darden sales rise 13.7 percent as LongHorn tops $1 billion in quarter
LongHorn crossed $1 billion in quarterly sales as Darden's sales jumped 13.7 percent, signaling more hiring, more hours and more pressure on restaurant crews.
LongHorn Steakhouse crossed $1 billion in quarterly sales for the first time as Darden Restaurants posted a 13.7 percent increase in fiscal fourth-quarter sales to $3.72 billion. Consolidated same-restaurant sales rose 4.6 percent, LongHorn's comparable sales climbed 9.5 percent and traffic increased 4.2 percent, a pace that usually ripples straight into hiring, scheduling and line-level execution.
The quarter ended May 31, 2026 and included Darden's 53rd week, which added 7.6 percentage points to sales growth and $0.25 to diluted earnings per share. Even with the extra week lifting the headline number, LongHorn still posted its best same-store sales performance since late 2022 and helped Darden finish fiscal 2026 with 9.4 percent total sales growth to $13.21 billion.
For restaurant workers, that kind of momentum usually means fuller dining rooms, more table turns and more pressure on kitchens to keep steaks, chops and sides moving without mistakes. LongHorn has leaned into premium occasions with a limited-time grilled lamb chops special, and Darden credited a record Mother’s Day, strong demand for lamb chops and continued investment in food and service quality.
The growth also points to more staffing churn and opportunity at the same time. Darden opened 27 net new restaurants in the quarter and 43 net new restaurants in fiscal 2026, and its annual report said it owned and operated 2,159 restaurants through subsidiaries at the end of fiscal 2025. More openings usually create chances for servers, bartenders, hosts and managers who want higher-volume shifts or a path into management, but they also stretch training teams, tighten labor budgets and can make burnout worse when staffing is already thin.
Darden also repurchased $138 million of stock in the quarter and authorized a new $1.5 billion buyback, showing how the company is balancing restaurant expansion with cash returned to shareholders. It also said fiscal 2026 would be a 53-week year and that Bahama Breeze locations would continue to be closed or converted between fiscal Q3 2026 and Q4 2027, a sign that Darden is still pruning weaker brands even as LongHorn carries the growth story.
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