<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0000891092-04-004591
<TYPE>8-K
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>2
<PERIOD>20040928
<ITEMS>8.01
<ITEMS>9.01
<FILING-DATE>20040929
<DATE-OF-FILING-DATE-CHANGE>20040929
<FILER>
<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>8-K
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>001-13666
<FILM-NUMBER>041053260
</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>
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<FORMER-CONFORMED-NAME>GENERAL MILLS RESTAURANTS INC
<DATE-CHANGED>19950313
</FORMER-COMPANY>
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<TYPE>8-K
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>e19154_8k.txt
<DESCRIPTION>FORM 8-K
<TEXT>

================================================================================

                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                       PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
                       THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                       Date of Report: September 28, 2004
                        (date of earliest event reported)

                            DARDEN RESTAURANTS, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                         Commission File Number: 1-13666

                Florida                                   59-3305930
       (State or other jurisdiction                     (IRS Employer
            of incorporation)                         Identification No.)

                 5900 Lake Ellenor Drive, Orlando, Florida 32809
          (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

                                 (407) 245-4000
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

                                 Not Applicable
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)


      Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions:

[ ]   Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17
      CFR 230.425)

[ ]   Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
      240.14a-12)

[ ]   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
      Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[ ]   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
      Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

================================================================================


<PAGE>

Item 8.01 - Other Events.

Darden Restaurants, Inc. issued a news release dated September 28, 2004,
entitled "Darden Restaurants Announces Dividend and Additional Share Repurchase
Authorization," a copy of which is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99 to this
Current Report on Form 8-K.

At the Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on September 29, 2004, the
shareholders of the Company took the following actions:

1. Elected twelve directors (Leonard L. Berry, Odie C. Donald, David H. Hughes,
Joe R. Lee, Senator Connie Mack, III, Andrew H. Madsen, Clarence Otis, Jr.,
Michael D. Rose, Maria A. Sastre, Jack A. Smith, Blaine Sweatt, III, and Rita P.
Wilson);

2. Approved the amended and restated Darden Restaurants, Inc. Employee Stock
Purchase Plan; and

3. Approved the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public
accounting firm for the fiscal year ending May 29, 2005.

Item 9.01  Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(c)   Exhibits.

      The following exhibit is being furnished with this Current Report:

      Exhibit Number
      (by reference to
      Item 601 of
      Regulation S-K)       Description
      ---------------       -----------

      99                    Press Release dated September 28, 2004, entitled
                            "Darden Restaurants Announces Dividend and
                            Additional Share Repurchase Authorization."


                                       2
<PAGE>

                                    SIGNATURE

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                              DARDEN RESTAURANTS, INC.

                                              By: /s/ Paula J. Shives
                                                  ------------------------------
                                                  Paula J. Shives
                                                  Senior Vice President, General
                                                  Counsel and Secretary

Date: September 29, 2004


                                       3
<PAGE>

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number          Description of Exhibit
--------------          ----------------------

99                      Press Release dated September 28, 2004, entitled "Darden
                        Restaurants Announces Dividend and Additional Share
                        Repurchase Authorization."


                                       4

</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-99
<SEQUENCE>2
<FILENAME>e19154ex_99.txt
<DESCRIPTION>PRESS RELEASE
<TEXT>

                                                                      Exhibit 99

           Darden Restaurants Announces Dividend and Additional Share
                            Repurchase Authorization

    ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Darden Restaurants, Inc.
(NYSE: DRI) announced today that the Board of Directors declared a cash
dividend of 4 cents per share on the Company's outstanding common stock.  The
dividend is payable on November 1, 2004 to shareholders of record at the close
of business on October 8, 2004.  Based on this 4-cent semi-annual dividend
declaration, the Company's indicated annual dividend is 8 cents per share.

    The Board of Directors also approved an additional share repurchase
authorization totaling 22.0 million shares.  Combined with unused capacity
from prior authorizations, Darden's available share repurchase authorization
now totals 25.2 million, which is approximately 16% of the 156.2 million
shares the Company had outstanding at the end of the first quarter of fiscal
2005.


    Darden Restaurants, Inc., headquartered in Orlando, FL, owns and operates
over 1,300 Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, Smokey Bones and Seasons
52 restaurants with annual sales of $5.0 billion.


    Forward-looking statements in this news release, if any, are made under
the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Certain important factors could cause results to differ materially from
those anticipated by the forward-looking statements, including the impact of
changing economic or business conditions, the impact of competition, the
availability of favorable credit and trade terms, the impact of changes in the
cost or availability of food and real estate, government regulation,
construction costs, weather conditions and other factors discussed from time
to time in reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.



SOURCE  Darden Restaurants, Inc.
    -0-                             09/28/2004
    /CONTACT:  Analysts, Matthew Stroud, +1-407-245-6458, or media, Jim
DeSimone, +1-407-245-4567, both of Darden Restaurants, Inc./
    /Company News On-Call:  http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/105228.html /
    /Web site:  http://www.darden.com /
    (DRI)

CO:  Darden Restaurants, Inc.
ST:  Florida
IN:  RST
SU:  DIV

</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
