<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0000940944-01-000012
<TYPE>4
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20010228
<FILING-DATE>20010307
<SUBJECT-COMPANY>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>DARDEN RESTAURANTS INC
<CIK>0000940944
<ASSIGNED-SIC>5812
<IRS-NUMBER>593305930
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>FL
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>0526
</COMPANY-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>001-13666
<FILM-NUMBER>1562703
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>5900 LAKE ELLENOR DR
<CITY>ORLANDO
<STATE>FL
<ZIP>32809
<PHONE>4072454000
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>5900 LAKE ELLENOR DRIVE
<CITY>ORLANDO
<STATE>FL
<ZIP>32809
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
<FORMER-COMPANY>
<FORMER-CONFORMED-NAME>GENERAL MILLS RESTAURANTS INC
<DATE-CHANGED>19950313
</FORMER-COMPANY>
</SUBJECT-COMPANY>
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>SMITH JACK A
<CIK>0001018584
<ASSIGNED-SIC>
<RELATIONSHIP>DIRECTOR
</COMPANY-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>5900 LAKE ELLENOR DRIVE
<CITY>ORLANDO
<STATE>FL
<ZIP>33809
<PHONE>4072454000
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>5900 LAKE ELLENOR DRIVE
<CITY>ORLANDO
<STATE>FL
<ZIP>32809
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>0001.txt
<TEXT>

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

( ) Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16.

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
   SMITH, JACK A.
   5900 LAKE ELLENOR DRIVE
   P. O. BOX 593330
   ORLANDO, FL 32859-3330
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
   DARDEN RESTAURANTS, INC. (DRI)
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
4. Statement for Month/Year
   2/2001
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   (X) Director                   ( ) 10% Owner
   ( ) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other (specify below)
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
   (X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
   ( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
<TABLE>
TABLE I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
<CAPTION>
+---------------------------------+----------+-------------+-----------------------------+----------------+-----------+------------+
|1. Title of Security             |2. Trans- |3. Trans-    |4. Securities Acquired (A)   |5. Amount of    |6. Owner-  |7. Nature   |
|                                 |   action |   action    |   or Disposed of (D)        |   Securities   |   ship    |   of In-   |
|                                 |   Date   |   Code      |                             |   Beneficially |   Form:   |   direct   |
|                                 |          |             |                             |   Owned at     |   Direct  |   Bene-    |
|                                 |  (Month/ |             |                             |   End of       |   (D) or  |   ficial   |
|                                 |   Day/   +-------+-----+-----------+------+----------+   Month        |   Indirect|   Owner-   |
|                                 |   Year)  |Code   |V    |Amount     |A/D   |Price     |                |   (I)     |   ship     |
+---------------------------------+----------+-------+-----+-----------+------+----------+----------------+-----------+------------+
<S>                                <C>        <C>     <C>   <C>         <C>    <C>        <C>              <C>         <C>
Common Stock                       02/23/2001 J (1)   V     273.81      A      $21.000000 28992.1153       D
</TABLE>

<PAGE>

<TABLE>
TABLE II -- Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
<CAPTION>
+-------------+--------+----------+---------+-----------+---------------------+----------------+----------+--------+-------+-------+
|1.           |2.      |3.        |4.       |5.         |6.                   |7.              |8.        |9.      |10.    |11.    |
|             |        |          |         |           |                     |                |          |Number  |Owner- |       |
|             |        |          |         |           |                     |                |          |of      |ship   |       |
|             |        |          |         |           |                     |                |          |Deriv-  |Form of|       |
|             |        |          |         |           |                     |Title and Amount|          |ative   |Deriv- |       |
|             |        |          |         |           |                     |of Underlying   |          |Secur-  |ative  |Nature |
|             |Conver- |          |         |Number of  |                     |Securities      |          |ities   |Secur- |of     |
|             |sion or |          |         |Derivative |Date Exercisable     +-------+--------+          |Benefi- |ity:   |In-    |
|             |Exercise|          |         |Securities |and Expiration Date  |       |Amount  |          |cially  |Direct |direct |
|             |Price of|Transac-  |Transac- |Acquired(A)|(Month/Day/Year)     |       |or      |          |Owned   |(D) or |Bene-  |
|Title of     |Deriv-  |tion Date |tion Code|Disposed(D)+----------+----------+       |Number  |Price of  |at End  |In-    |ficial |
|Derivative   |ative   |(Month/   +------+--+-----+-----+Date Exer-|Expira-   |       |of      |Derivative|of      |direct |Owner- |
|Security     |Security|Day/Year) |Code  |V |(A)  |(D)  |cisable   |tion Date |Title  |Shares  |Security  |Month   |(I)    |ship   |
+-------------+--------+----------+------+--+-----+-----+----------+----------+-------+--------+----------+--------+-------+-------+
<S>            <C>      <C>        <C>    <C><C>   <C>   <C>        <C>        <C>     <C>      <C>        <C>      <C>     <C>
</TABLE>

Explanation of Responses:
(1) The Reporting Person elected to defer a portion of the quarterly Director's
compensation under the Darden Restaurants, Inc. Compensation Plan for
Non-Employee  Directors, to be matched by equivalent value in Darden Restaurant,
Inc. common stock.

SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/s/ JACK A. SMITH

DATE
03/07/2001
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
