Is Darden a good company to work for?

Darden has an overall rating of 3.8 out of 5, based on over 2,910 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 4% over the last 12 months. 68% of employees would recommend working at Darden to a friend and 68% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Darden have been left by employees working as Managing Partner , General Manager and Culinary Professional .

Does Darden pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Darden employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.5 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Darden. This rating has decreased by 5% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Darden?

68% of Darden employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Darden 3.4 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.8 for culture and values and 3.7 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Darden?

Server (685) , Server/Waiter (189) , Manager (100) , Restaurant Manager (81) , Hostess (75) , Host (68) , Bartender (62) , Line Cook (55) , Server/Bartender (47) , General Manager (45) , Food Server (39) , Bartender/Server (35) , Server/Waitress (23) , Busser (22) , To Go Specialist (22)

What are the pros of working at Darden according to real employee reviews?

""There are really really great benefits with this job and you are highly likely to make awesome connections with your coworkers!"" ((in 180 reviews)); "The money is good and the job is relatively secure in these tough economic times." ((in 143 reviews)); "They were very friendly and the pay was good" ((in 128 reviews)); ""The people are great and very good at their jobs."" ((in 115 reviews)); "Hours are flexible and fairly easy to get days off and make adjustments to your work schedule." ((in 104 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Darden according to real employee reviews?

"Management is poor and needs improvement" ((in 189 reviews)); "A bad manager who doesnt know what they are doing can ruin a restaurant very quickly." ((in 123 reviews)); "No work life balance" ((in 40 reviews)); "Blatant Favoritism" ((in 28 reviews)); "Upper management are insulated by HR." ((in 19 reviews))

What are employees saying about Darden layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Darden layoffs and their outlook for job security at Darden in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Darden locations?

Orlando , Atlanta , Houston , Tampa , San Antonio , Phoenix , Austin , Philadelphia , Charlotte , San Diego , Dallas , Jacksonville , New York , Miami , Boston , Chicago , Pittsburgh , Kansas City , Los Angeles , Schaumburg , Indianapolis , Cincinnati , Las Vegas , Wayne , Louisville , Raleigh , Fort Worth , Knoxville , Daytona Beach , Salt Lake City

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Darden

Darden reviews

3.8

68% would recommend to a friend

(2,847 total reviews)

Rick Cardenas

75% approve of CEO

68% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.1

Diversity & inclusion

3.8

Culture & values

3.7

Career opportunities

3.5

Senior management

3.5

Compensation and benefits

3.4

Work/Life balance

Darden has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 2,847 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Darden employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Restaurants & Food Service industry (3.7 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

3K reviews

3.0

Dec 26, 2008

good starting job

Manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

benefits, pay, training, early hours, established restaurant chain

Cons

can get lost in the corperate ladder very easily. Some directors only see what they want to see and can be unfair to some managers.

3.0

Dec 16, 2008

It CAN be a great place to work!

Executive assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Darden has a great benefits package - great pay, great health insurance, stocks, free coffee, soda, bottled water, etc. There are 10 paid holidays, 5 sick days, 3 personal days and 2 weeks vacation. You get 1 week vacation after 90 days. They are moving to a more flexible schedule where you can work 7-3 or 9-6 depending on your need. They have casual fridays where you can wear jeans. It's a business casual environment the rest of the week. The pay is above anything else in Orlando. The employees who work there are great! I met some fabulous people at Darden.

Cons

Communication between HR and employees and Management and employees is terrible. It needs major improvement. There is so many politics at Darden. They are not 100% honest with their employees - especially during "restructuring". It's is very HR heavy and sometimes they have more say than the actual management team. Never go to HR if you are having a manager issue because the manager will always win and you will find yourself without a job. There is very little work life balance at Darden. You will be expected to put in major hours if you want to get promoted. If you don't have a college degree - don't bother.

3.0

Dec 2, 2008

Inconsistent and unfair in upholding policies with staff and management.

Manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great food with a great family atmosphere. When you are there you are family. Unless you work there!

Cons

Too inconsistent in upholding of policies within management and with staff.

Viewing 2674 - 2676 of 2,847 Reviews

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good starting job

It CAN be a great place to work!

Inconsistent and unfair in upholding policies with staff and management.

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