NEW YORK (Standard&Poor's) October 5, 2011--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services said today that it assigned its 'BBB' rating (the same as the corporate credit rating) to Orlando-based Darden Restaurants Inc.'s proposed $350 million senior unsecured notes due 2021. The company plans to use net proceeds from the note issuances for general corporate purposes, including repaying its short-term debt. The ratings on Darden reflect Standard&Poor's expectations that the company's revenue and operating performance will continue to improve modestly in 2012 as the company benefits from operational improvements and product development. We view Darden's business risk profile as satisfactory, based on the company's general outperformance as compared with the rest of the casual dining restaurant industry and its
