Darden outperforms casual-dining segment in 1QDarden outperforms casual-dining segment in 1Q

Rapidly growing to-go orders at Olive Garden helped parent company Darden Restaurants Inc. easily outperform the casual-dining segment in the first quarter ended Aug. 28, the company said Tuesday.

Same-store sales at the Orlando, Fla.-based company’s seven brands rose a cumulative 1.3 percent in the first quarter, a 340-basis-point outperformance of its casual-dining peers.

The flagship Olive Garden brand led the charge, with same-store sales rising 2 percent in the quarter. The growth marked the chain’s eighth consecutive quarter of expansion, as the Italian concept continues its revitalization.

Darden executives said the strength during the quarter was due to efforts to improve service and food quality over the past two years.

“We continue...