DRI vs ZTO Comparison

Darden Restaurants is the largest global full-service dining operator, with over $12 billion in system sales across 2,159 company-owned stores at the end of fiscal 2025, spanning the US and Canada. The firm operates 10 banners in four segments, including Olive Garden (43% of sales), LongHorn Steakhouse (25%), and fine dining (21%), which includes The Capital Grille, Ruth's Chris, and Eddie V's. The other 11% of sales comes from smaller concepts such as Yard House and Cheddar's. Darden primarily generates revenue through sales of food and beverage items at its company-owned restaurants. It also earns royalties on sales from 154 franchised locations in US and international markets, which sit within the other segment but are immaterial to consolidated results.

ZTO Express is China's largest express delivery company by parcel volume, with a volume share of 19.4% in 2024. It operates a network partner model where it provides line-haul transportation and sorting services, while its local network partners provide first-mile pickup and last-mile delivery services under the ZTO brand name. Headquartered in Shanghai, the company was founded in 2002 by Meisong Lai, who remains chair, CEO, and its major shareholder with 78% voting rights as of March 31, 2025. ZTO's strategic shareholder is leading China e-commerce company Alibaba Group with around an 8.9% interest.