




                                                                      EXHIBIT 99

Press Release dated July 10, 1997 of Darden Restaurants, Inc.

                          DARDEN RESTAURANTS ANNOUNCES
                           INVESTOR RELATIONS CHANGES

ORLANDO, FL -- Darden  Restaurants,  Inc. announced today Clarence Otis, Jr. has
been promoted to Senior Vice President,  Investor Relations and Treasurer. Otis,
who has been the company's vice president/treasurer since June 1995 and has more
than 15 years experience in finance,  will take over the Investor Relations area
from Ted Blood, who is leaving the company to take another position.

Darden also  announced the  promotion of Matthew  Stroud to Director of Investor
Relations.  He will assume the day-to-day  investor relations  responsibilities,
reporting to Otis.

"This promotion recognizes the important  contributions Clarence has made as our
corporate  treasurer,  and  the  fact  that  he  is  ideally  suited  to  assume
responsibility  for the Investor  Relations  Department," said Joe Lee, Chairman
and CEO,  adding that Otis will have "a direct working  relationship"  with him.
"With  his  Wall  Street  experience,  comprehensive  financial  background  and
experience with our credit and banking relationships, his broad perspective will
help align our communications with the financial and investment communities."

Prior to  joining  Darden,  Otis was  Managing  Director  and  Manager of Public
Finance with  Chemical  Securities,  Inc. in New York for more than three years,
where he managed a section of their municipal securities group. He's also worked
for Siebert  Municipal  Capital Group as Managing  Director and  Principal;  The
First Boston Corporation as Vice President,  Public Finance; and Kidder, Peabody
& Company as Assistant Vice  President,  Public  Finance.  He holds a law degree
from Stanford Law School and spent four years as a securities litigator.

Matthew  Stroud has been with the  company  for seven  years,  most  recently as
manager, Strategic Analysis in the Investor Relations Department. Before that he
was a senior financial analyst for the corporation,  Red Lobster and Red Lobster
Japan. Stroud has an MBA from Brigham Young University.

Blood  will exit his post as  Senior  Vice  President,  Investor  Relations  and
Strategic  Planning,  effective  July 28, to take a position  with Times  Mirror
Company in Los Angeles.

"Ted was a key member of our  'spin-off"  team when we  separated  from  General
Mills and played an important role in developing a strong  relationship with our
shareholders  and the financial  community,  and in  establishing  our strategic
direction,"  said Lee.  "We're happy Ted will be able to be closer to his family
and wish him and his wife, Martha, all the best in the future."

Darden  Restaurants,  headquartered in Orlando,  Florida,  owns and operates Red
Lobster, The Olive Garden and Bahama Breeze restaurants.



