Darden Restaurants owns and operates full-service restaurant chains including Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, among the largest casual dining restaurant companies in the United States. Its multi-brand portfolio spans different casual dining segments and price points, letting Darden diversify its exposure across various dining occasions rather than depending on a single restaurant concept. The company owns and operates the vast majority of its restaurants directly rather than relying heavily on franchising, giving it more direct control over food quality, service standards and pricing across its brand portfolio. Darden's same-store sales and profitability are sensitive to consumer discretionary spending on dining out, along with food and labor cost inflation that affects restaurant operating margins across the casual dining industry.