DRI vs YUMC Comparison

Darden Restaurants is the largest restaurant operator in the us full-service space, with consolidated revenue of $11.4 billion in fiscal 2024 resulting in 3%-4% full-service market share (per NRA data and our calculations). The company maintains a portfolio of 11 restaurant brands: Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, Ruth's Chris, Yard House, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Eddie V's, Bahama Breeze, The Capital Burger, and most recently, Chuy's. Darden generates revenue almost exclusively from company-owned restaurants, though a small network of franchised restaurants and consumer-packaged goods sales through the traditional grocery channel contribute modestly. As of the end of its fiscal 2024, the company operated 2,031 restaurants in the us.

With almost 15,000 units and USD 12 billion in systemwide sales in 2023, Yum China is the largest restaurant operator in China. It generates revenue through its own restaurants and franchise fees. Key concepts include KFC (10,296 units) and Pizza Hut (3,312), but the company's portfolio also includes other brands such as Little Sheep, Taco Bell, Huang Ji Huang, and Lavazza (collectively representing more than 1,000 units). Yum China is a trademark licensee of Yum Brands, paying 3% of total systemwide sales to the company it separated from in October 2016.