Our recent In the Know column about activity at Estero's Coconut Point mall that included Olive Garden's owner prompted an inquiry from reader Diane Coleman.
"Your article said that Darden is taking over Ruth's Chris," she said. "Does that mean they are closing the restaurant or just under Darden ownership?"
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She raised a good question about the Ruth's Chris Steak House acquisition by Darden Restaurants. We have seen chains buy competitors and then dismantle them right here in Southwest Florida and throughout the nation.
For example, Cava Group, which my colleague Robyn George calls "the Chipotle of Mediterranean cuisine," swallowed up the similar fast-casual foe ZoësKitchen and has been closing or converting them. This year, Cava emerged in Daniels Marketplace off Six Mile Cypress in south Fort Myers in the cubbyhole once held by its former rival, which previously had nearly 300 spots including Naples Mercato and right across U.S. 41 from the said Coconut Point.
And Darden did match up its upscale Eddie V's and The Capital Grille, which sits at Mercato off U.S. 41 and Vanderbilt Beach Road, against Ruth's. But in this case, it wants to bolster its fancy eating arsenal with the many potential diners who have enhanced discretionary funds at their disposal.
With several factors in play, its profit margin in 2022 was down for lower priced eateries, such as Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, compared to the previous year, but for its fine dining category, it went from 18.1% in 2021 to 21.3%, according to its annual reports.
"Ruth's Chris is a strong and distinctive brand in the fine dining segment," Darden CEO Rick Cardenas said. "It fits the criteria we have for adding a brand to our portfolio."
For folks wanting to spend less than that, Darden locally also owns Bahama Breeze, Yard House, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen and Seasons 52. It continues expanding in Southwest Florida with plans for a Breeze at Naples Coastland Center, a Fort Myers Bell Tower Capital Grille at U.S. 41 and Daniels Road and a Naples Cheddar's for Immokalee Road and U.S. 41, where hiring began this past week ahead of a targeted summer kickoff. In 2023, it planned $525 million to build new venues and remodel or update some of its existing 1,867 destinations.
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How much more are you spending to dine at your favorite restaurants?
Those fiscal year company filings provide a taste of something else: How much more you're spending on vittles and booze, based on In the Know research of thousands of financial statement pages instead of watching 614 different Fox television programs featuring Scottish chef Gordon Ramsay. It's either Ramsay or "The Simpsons" for the past 20 or 30 years to raise money for all its other programming. That left me with an appetite to dig deeper before Ramsay starts on another rant: “I wouldn’t trust yourunninga bath let alone a restaurant ― let's get that right."
The most recent yearly jump on your meal bill is significant, compared to what you've been handed in the past, and Darden cites some of the same "geopolitical and macroeconomic events" you've followed, such as the supply chain challenges that date back to last decade's second half.
At Olive Garden, for example, the average check per person rose by 4.4% in 2022 as compared to 2021. At LongHorn, it was 4.3%.
It's higher for its other segments, with fine dining customers forking out a 5.8% increase, and in its category Darden calls "other" that includes Bahama Breeze, Yard House, Cheddar's and Seasons, we're talking a 9.3% surge. That's a lot of chicken tenders.
And check this out: It already had risen from 2020 to 2021 by 2.9% at Olive Garden, 2.2% at LongHorn, 1.5% for fine dining and 2% for the "other" category, and that's somewhat consistent with previous years.
Here's a breakdown for seven of the Darden entrants in our market for the past two years, five years ago and a decade ago, according to annual national reports, which doesn't include tips and sales tax. The escalating price of drinks and appetizers also may have played a role in that bill the server gave you. However, the bookkeepers didn't provide a cost range for those. We wanted to go back 15 years and beyond, and couldn't. They handled their sales data differently back then.
There are other potential impacts, such as smaller sized portions or introducing a lower budget item while raising the charge on other offerings, but the stats do give you a flavor of why you might be doling out extra green.
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1. Olive Garden: Darden fave up near $10 in decade. Pass the breadsticks
You're paying $9 more for you and your guest than you were 10 years ago at Olive Garden, which Darden rolled out in 1982, but adult beverages are a smaller percentage of your sum. Are you drinking less because you're too full on those breadsticks?
- 2022
- Dinner entrée price range, $10-$20; lunch, $8-$10
- Average check for two persons: $42, with 5.5% of it on alcohol
- 2021
- Dinner entrée price range, $10-$20; lunch, $8-$10
- Average check for two persons: $40, with 4.7% alcohol
- 2018
- Dinner entrée price range, $9 to $18.50, lunch $7 to $14
- Average check for two persons: $37, with 6.7% alcohol
- 2013
- Dinner entrée price range, $10 to $20, lunch $7 to $17
- Average check for two persons: $33, with 7.5% alcohol
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2. LongHorn Steakhouse: 2 cowboys dine for $48 plus tip, tax. Saddle up
You've got to a pull out an extra Hamilton a decade later after you're done carving up your meat at LongHorn, which began grilling in 1981 and Darden corralled in 2007.
- 2022
- Dinner entrée price range, $12.50 to $32.50, lunch $9 to $13
- Average check for two persons: $48, with 9% alcohol
- 2021
- Dinner entrée price range, $11.50 to $32.50, lunch $8 to $12
- Average check for two persons: $46, with 7.9% alcohol
- 2018
- Dinner entrée price range, $12 to $28, lunch $8 to $16
- Average check for two persons: $43, with 9.6% alcohol
- 2013
- Dinner entrée price range, $12 to $23, lunch $7 to $15
- Average check for two persons: $37.50, with 9.6% alcohol
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3. Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen: The least priciest for Darden at $33 for 2
You're forking over augmented cheddar at Cheddar's, which debuted in 1979 and Darden gobbled up in 2017, although entrée prices have remained relatively stable the past five years as have servings of honey butter croissants.
- 2022
- Lunch and dinner entrée price range, $8-$21
- Average check for two persons: $33, with 8.3% alcohol
- 2021
- Lunch and dinner entrée price range, $8-$19
- Average check for two persons: $32, with 8.1% alcohol
- 2018
- Lunch and dinner entrée price range, $6.99-$19.99
- Average check for two persons: $27.50, with 9% alcohol
- 2013
- Not owned by Darden, which didn't include this data in its annual report for that time period
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4. Yard House: Where beer and liquor play a larger role in your tally
When you compare your 2021 total to three years earlier, it looks like you were getting a pretty good deal at Yard House, which began pouring in 1996 and Darden procured in 2012. However, the priciest option goes for $13 more than it did nine years ago.
- 2022
- Lunch and dinner entrée price range, $9-$48
- Average check for two persons: $67, with 33.8% alcohol
- 2021
- Lunch and dinner entrée price range, $9.50-$43
- Average check for two persons: $64, with 33.8% alcohol
- 2018
- Lunch and dinner entrée price range, $9-$36
- Average check for two persons: $66, with 36% alcohol
- 2014 (incomplete data for 2013)
- Lunch and dinner entrée price range, $8-$35
- Average check for two persons: $60.50, with 38.9% alcohol
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5. Capital Grille: A typical meal for 2 with tip, tax will ring up to $235
Consumption at The Capital Grill, which opened in 1990 and Darden purchased in 2007, requires a lot more capital, but there's a decent chance you got the company to reimburse you last year for that $185 tally, which with a 20% tip and sales tax would take you to about $235. The accountant probably liked it better when you had a $12 alternative a decade ago, plus the most expensive food item then only required a payment with Ulysses Grant's face on it. Today it's double that so you're talking Benjamin now.
- 2022
- Dinner entrée price range, $34 to $95, lunch $19 to $49
- Average check for two persons: $185, with 27.7% alcohol
- 2021
- Dinner entrée price range, $31 to $95, lunch $18 to $48
- Average check for two persons: $171, with 26.7% alcohol
- 2018
- Dinner entrée price range, $18 to $64, lunch $18 to $33
- Average check for two persons: $164, with 29% alcohol
- 2013
- Dinner entrée price range, $28 to $51, lunch $12 to $39
- Average check for two persons: $142.50, with 29.8% alcohol
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6. Seasons 52: 25% of the bill on booze. Higher priced entrées up 50%
The jump in prices wasn't as dramatic from 2013 to 2018 as it has been in recent years at Seasons 52, which Darden launched in 2003 and changes its menu 52 times a year to go with its 52 choices for a glass of wine.
- 2022
- Lunch and dinner entrée price range, $12-$46.50
- Average check for two persons: $95, with 24.4% alcohol
- 2021
- Lunch and dinner entrée price range, $11.50-$41.50
- Average check for two persons: $93, with 25.1% alcohol
- 2018
- Lunch and dinner entrée price range, $10-$32.50
- Average check for two persons: $89, with 24.9% alcohol
- 2013
- Lunch and dinner entrée price range, $9-$30
- Average check for two persons: $81.50, with 26.9% alcohol
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7. Bahama Breeze: Menu price range remains consistent for a decade
Although a $14 boost in the total from a decade ago for the colorful Bahama Breeze, which Darden unfurled in 1996, chow prices have remained stable in recent years so that won't be a buzzkill for your tropical vibe.
- 2022
- Lunch and dinner entrée price range, $8.50 to $24
- Average check for two persons: $61, with 22.9% alcohol
- 2021
- Lunch and dinner entrée price range, $8-$24
- Average check for two persons: $62, with 23.3% alcohol
- 2018
- Lunch and dinner entrée price range, $7-$24
- Average check for two persons: $59, with 23.7% alcohol
- 2013
- Lunch and dinner entrée price range, $7.50-$23
- Average check for two persons: $47, with 22.1% alcohol
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Did you know? No matter where you are, when you'll find shorter waits
∎ While we certainly have our snowbird patterns here in Southwest Florida and know what season the wait will be shorter, Darden reports that its average sales per site nationally are best in the winter and spring, followed by the summer, and lowest in the fall.
∎ Number of Darden locations in 2022 versus 2021 respectively: Olive Garden: 884 - 875; LongHorn: 546 - 533; Cheddar’s: 172 - 170; Yard House: 85 - 81; Capital Grille: 62 - 60; Seasons: 45 - 44; Bahama Breeze: 42 - 42; Eddie V’s: 28 - 26; The Capital Burger: 3 - 3; Total: 1,867 - 1,834.
Based at the Naples Daily News, Columnist Phil Fernandez (pfernandez@gannett.com), who grew up in Southwest Florida, writes In the Know as part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. Support democracy and subscribe to a newspaper.
