-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----
Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR
Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov
Originator-Key-Asymmetric:
 MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen
 TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB
MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA,
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 BiAP9VSmACy9qAuWzQMP+g==

<SEC-DOCUMENT>0000940944-97-000108.txt : 19970912
<SEC-HEADER>0000940944-97-000108.hdr.sgml : 19970912
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0000940944-97-000108
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	4
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT:	19970831
FILED AS OF DATE:		19970910
SROS:			NYSE

SUBJECT COMPANY:	

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			DARDEN RESTAURANTS INC
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000940944
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	RETAIL-EATING PLACES [5812]
		IRS NUMBER:				593305930
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			FL
		FISCAL YEAR END:			0526

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		4
		SEC ACT:		
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	001-13666
		FILM NUMBER:		97678151

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		5900 LAKE ELLENOR DR
		CITY:			ORLANDO
		STATE:			FL
		ZIP:			32809
		BUSINESS PHONE:		4072454000

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		5900 LAKE ELLENOR DRIVE
		CITY:			ORLANDO
		STATE:			FL
		ZIP:			32809

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	GENERAL MILLS RESTAURANTS INC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19950313
<REPORTING-OWNER>

COMPANY DATA:	
	COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			ATWATER H BREWSTER JR
	CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001018580
	STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	 []
<RELATIONSHIP>DIRECTOR

FILING VALUES:
	FORM TYPE:		4

BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
	STREET 1:		4900 IDS CENTER
	STREET 2:		80 S 8TH ST
	CITY:			MINNEAPOLIS
	STATE:			MN
	ZIP:			55402
	BUSINESS PHONE:		4072454000

MAIL ADDRESS:	
	STREET 1:		5900 LAKE ELLENOR DRIVE
	STREET 2:		DARDEN RESTAURANTS INC
	CITY:			ORLANDO
	STATE:			FL
	ZIP:			32809
</REPORTING-OWNER>
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<TEXT>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ----------------                              U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGED COMMISION                   ----------------------------
|F  O  R  M   4|                                       Washington, D.C. 20549                           |       OMB APPROVAL       |
- ----------------                                                                                        |--------------------------|
                                           STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP                 |OMB Number       3235-0287|
[ ] Check this box if                                                                                   |Expires: September 30,1998|
    no longer Subject        Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchanged Act of 1934,   |Estimated ave. burden     |
    to Section 16.              Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or      |hours per response.....0.5|
                                         Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act 1940               ----------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|1.Name and Address of Reporting Person* |2.Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol      |6.Relationship of Reporting Person to   |
|                                        |                                                |  Issuer (Check all Applicable)         |
|ATWATER, JR.         H. BREWSTER        |DARDEN RESTAURANTS, INC.                (DRI)   |                                        |
|                                        |                                                | X  Director             10% Owner      |
|----------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|---                   ---               |
|      (Last)             (First)    (MI)|3.IRS or Soc. Sec. No. |4.Statement for Month/  |   Officer               Other          |
|                                        |  of Reporting Person  |  Year                  |---(give title below) ---(Specify below)|
|  4900 IDS CENTER                       |  (Voluntary)          |                        |                                        |
|  80 SOUTH 8TH STREET                   |                       |     August    1997     |                                        |
|                                        |                       |                        |                                        |
|----------------------------------------|                       |------------------------|----------------------------------------|
|      (Street)                          |                       |5.If Amendment, Date of |7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing     |
|                                        |      ###-##-####      |  Original (Month/Year) |   (Check Applicable Line)              |
|                                        |                       |                        |                                        |
|MINNEAPOLIS             MN    55402     |                       |                        | X  Form filed by One Reporting Person  |
|                                        |                       |                        |---                                     |
|                                        |                       |                        |    Form filed by More than One         |
|                                        |                       |                        |--- Reporting Person                    |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|      (City)         (State)     (Zip)                                                                                            |
|                                              TABLE I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of or Beneficially Owned     |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|1.Title of Security            |2.Transac-  |3.Trans. |4.Security Acquired (A) or     |5.Amount of      |6.  |7.Nature of Indirect|
|  (Instr. 3)                   |  tion Date |  Code   |  Disposed of (D)              |  Securities     |Own.|  Beneficial        |
|                               |(Mon/Day/Yr)|(Instr.8)|  (Instr. 3, 4 & 5)            |  Beneficially   |Form|  Ownership         |
|                               |            |---------|-------------------------------|  Owned at End of|(D) |  (Instr. 4)        |
|                               |            |    |    |                |(A) |         |  Month          |or  |                    |
|                               |            |Code| V  |     Amount     |(D) |  Price  |  (Instr. 3 & 4) |(I) |                    |
|-------------------------------|------------|----|----|----------------|----|---------|-----------------|----|--------------------|
|<S>                            |<C>         |<C> |<C> |<C>             |<C> |<C>      |<C>              |<C> |<C>                 |
|Common Stock                   |            |    |    |                |    |   $.0000|    520024.7457  | D  |                    |
|                               |            |    |    |                |    |         |                 |    |                    |
|-------------------------------|------------|----|----|----------------|----|---------|-----------------|----|--------------------|
|                               |            |    |    |                |    |         |                 |    |                    |
|                               |            |    |    |                |    |         |                 |    |                    |
|-------------------------------|------------|----|----|----------------|----|---------|-----------------|----|--------------------|
|                               |            |    |    |                |    |         |                 |    |                    |
|                               |            |    |    |                |    |         |                 |    |                    |
|-------------------------------|------------|----|----|----------------|----|---------|-----------------|----|--------------------|
|                               |            |    |    |                |    |         |                 |    |                    |
|                               |            |    |    |                |    |         |                 |    |                    |
|-------------------------------|------------|----|----|----------------|----|---------|-----------------|----|--------------------|
|                               |            |    |    |                |    |         |                 |    |                    |
|                               |            |    |    |                |    |         |                 |    |                    |
|-------------------------------|------------|----|----|----------------|----|---------|-----------------|----|--------------------|
|                               |            |    |    |                |    |         |                 |    |                    |
|                               |            |    |    |                |    |         |                 |    |                    |
|-------------------------------|------------|----|----|----------------|----|---------|-----------------|----|--------------------|
|                               |            |    |    |                |    |         |                 |    |                    |
|                               |            |    |    |                |    |         |                 |    |                    |
|-------------------------------|------------|----|----|----------------|----|---------|-----------------|----|--------------------|
|                               |            |    |    |                |    |         |                 |    |                    |
|                               |            |    |    |                |    |         |                 |    |                    |
|-------------------------------|------------|----|----|----------------|----|---------|-----------------|----|--------------------|
|                               |            |    |    |                |    |         |                 |    |                    |
|                               |            |    |    |                |    |         |                 |    |                    |
|-------------------------------|------------|----|----|----------------|----|---------|-----------------|----|--------------------|
|                               |            |    |    |                |    |         |                 |    |                    |
|                               |            |    |    |                |    |         |                 |    |                    |
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class securities owned directly or indirectly.                         SEC 1474 (7-96)
*If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).

                                                                                                                      PAGE:  1 OF  2
</TABLE>
<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
FORM 4 (continued)          TABLE II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, Beneficially Owned
                                   (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible security)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|1.Title of|2.Conver-|3.   |4.Tran-  |5.Number of          |6.Date     |7.Title and Amount   |8.Price of|9.Number  |10. |11.Nature |
|Derivative|sion or  |Trans|  saction|  Derivative         |Exercisable|  of Underlying      |Derivative|  of      |Own.|   of     |
|Security  |Exercise |Date |  Code   |  Securities         |and        |  Securities         |Security  |Derivative|Form|Indirect  |
|(Instr. 3)|Price of |(Mon/|(Instr.8)|  Acquired (A) or    |Expiration |  (Instr. 3 & 4)     |(Instr. 5)|Securities|of  |Beneficial|
|          |Deriva-  | Day/|         |  Disposed of (D)    |Date       |                     |          |Benefi-   |Deri|Ownership |
|          |tive     |Year)|         |  (Instr. 3, 4 & 5)  |(Month/Day/|                     |          |cially    |Sec.|(Instr. 4)|
|          |Security |     |         |                     |   Year)   |                     |          |Owned at  |Dir.|          |
|          |         |     |         |                     |-----------|---------------------|          |End of    |(D) |          |
|          |         |     |         |                     |     |     |          |Amount or |          |Month     |or  |          |
|          |         |     |---------|---------------------|Date |Exp. |   Title  |Number of |          |(Instr. 4)|Ind.|          |
|          |         |     |Code| V  |    (A)   |    (D)   |Exbl.|Date |          |Shares    |          |          |(I) |          |
|----------|---------|-----|----|----|----------|----------|-----|-----|----------|----------|----------|----------|----|----------|
|<S>       |<C>      |<C>  |<C> |<C> |<C>       |<C>       |<C>  |<C>  |<C>       |<C>       |<C>       |<C>       |<C> |<C>       |
|Stock Opti|  $9.8750|08/22| A  |    |      1865|          |02/22|08/22|Common Sto|      1865|          |      1865| D  |          |
|on        |         | 1997|    |    |          |          | 1998| 2007|ck        |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|----------|---------|-----|----|----|----------|----------|-----|-----|----------|----------|----------|----------|----|----------|
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
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|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|----------|---------|-----|----|----|----------|----------|-----|-----|----------|----------|----------|----------|----|----------|
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|----------|---------|-----|----|----|----------|----------|-----|-----|----------|----------|----------|----------|----|----------|
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
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|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|----------|---------|-----|----|----|----------|----------|-----|-----|----------|----------|----------|----------|----|----------|
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|----------|---------|-----|----|----|----------|----------|-----|-----|----------|----------|----------|----------|----|----------|
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|----------|---------|-----|----|----|----------|----------|-----|-----|----------|----------|----------|----------|----|----------|
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|----------|---------|-----|----|----|----------|----------|-----|-----|----------|----------|----------|----------|----|----------|
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|----------|---------|-----|----|----|----------|----------|-----|-----|----------|----------|----------|----------|----|----------|
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|----------|---------|-----|----|----|----------|----------|-----|-----|----------|----------|----------|----------|----|----------|
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
|          |         |     |    |    |          |          |     |     |          |          |          |          |    |          |
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Explanation of Responses:











**Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal                  /s/CLIFFORD L. WHITEHILL           09/10/1997
  Criminal Violations.  See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).            ------------------------------------------  ----------
                                                                                  **Signature of Reporting Person           Date
Note: File three copies of this form, one of which must be manually signed.
      If space provided is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.                                            SEC 1474 (7-96)

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not
required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMD Number

                           ATWATER, JR., H. BREWSTER                DARDEN RESTAURANTS, INC.                 AUG-1997 PAGE:  2 OF  2
</TABLE>
<PAGE>

</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SEC-DOCUMENT>
-----END PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----
