WHO: Olive Garden encourages families to share lunch or dinner together for Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.

WHAT: Guests will receive one free children's menu item (children under 12) for every adult entree purchased with the coupon available at OliveGarden.com/Coupon.

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, April 24, 2014 - Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day

To find the nearest Olive Garden restaurant, visit OliveGarden.com.

WHY: Olive Garden supports the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation's mission to show children the value of their education, help them discover a balanced work and family life, and provide them an opportunity to envision the future and achieve success. This year marks the 21st anniversary of the holiday, which has grown to more than 37 million youth and adults participating at more than 3.5 million workplaces. Last year, more than 7,000 Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day participants visited Olive Garden restaurants.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:


    --  Photo Opportunities:
        --  Families celebrating the holiday over a meal at Olive Garden
        --  Olive Garden team members interacting with young guests
    --  Connect with us:  Find us at Facebook.com/OliveGarden,
        Twitter.com/OliveGarden and Instagram.com/OfficialOliveGarden.

ABOUT OLIVE GARDEN:

Olive Garden is the leading restaurant in the Italian dining segment with more than 800 restaurants, more than 96,000 employees and more than $3.6 billion in annual sales. Olive Garden is a division of Darden Restaurants, Inc., (NYSE: DRI), which owns and operates more than 2,100 restaurants that generate over $8.5 billion in annual sales. Headquartered in Orlando, Fla., and employing more than 200,000 people, Darden is recognized for a culture that rewards caring for and responding to people. In 2014, Darden was named to the FORTUNE "100 Best Companies to Work For" list for the fourth year in a row. Our restaurant brands - Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille, Eddie V's and Yard House - 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.

ABOUT THE TAKE OUR DAUGHTERS AND SONS TO WORK FOUNDATION:
Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day is celebrated in every state and in countries on every continent, spreading very quickly throughout Africa, where girls' rights are not well respected, so many women's groups are anxious to support daughters being taken to workplaces to observe various types of jobs and the education needed for employment. Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation also is beginning programs dealing with bullying. Find out more about us at www.DaughtersAndSonsToWork.org. Connect with us at Facebook.com/DaughtersAndSonsToWork.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140421/76937

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131101/FL08806LOGO-b



    Contact:

    Priscilla Zuchowski             Tara Gray

    Priscilla.Zuchowski@edelman.com TGray@darden.com

    312-552-1133                    407-245-5642

/PRNewswire -- April 24, 2014/

SOURCE Darden Restaurants, Inc.: General