Darden Restaurants News

For Tupperware Brands' already-announced $1-million gift to Orlando's performing-arts center project -- $100,000 a year for 10 years -- the stage of the center's smallest theater will be called the Tupperware Brands Community Hall Stage.

California Pizza Kitchen Inc. recently reported third-quarter 2009 results with a mid-single digit fall in the top-line but a surprise double-digit rise in the bottom-line. Effective cost management and a lower tax rate have driven earnings growth.

Many of about 300 Florida companies, including more than 50 in Metro Orlando, could lose up to $85million in government incentives because they have fallen behind in hiring or even cut positions.

Amicus Therapeutics , headquartered in New Jersey,appointed Margaret G. McGlynn to its Board of Directors.Margaret, who holds anMBA in Marketing from the State University of New York at Buffalo,most recently served as President of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases for Merck & Co., Inc.

Orlando-based Darden Restaurants has elected Victoria D. Harker, executive vice president and chief financial officer of The AES Corporation, to its board of directors effective today.

Analyst Report ) sustained its growth momentum in fiscal year 2009. The casual dining operator's third-quarter 2009 profit soared 55.3% year-over-year to $3.2 million.

Expectation is the root of all heartache. -William Shakespeare Recap and Set-Up As the S&P 500 Index weakens to approach the area I'd outlined in the Bull Market Timer weekly update on October 25, let us again evaluate the market outlook.

Thus far in Q3 2009 earnings season, most of the chain restaurants have delivered "good" earnings results: generally negative sales comp results, favorable c ommodity and other cost reductions and as a result meeting EPS expectations.

At The Bottom Line, youa ll find the latest in business news and insights from Orlando Sentinel columnist Beth Kassab.

Half of all restaurants fail in their first three years, according to some reports.

A new LongHorn Steakhouse restaurant is coming near Orlando International Airport.

H ealth-care reform is among the big issues on which Orlando-based Darden Restaurants has lobbied Congress, according to federal reports filed earlier this month.

With Chili's resorting to a new version of its old baby back, baby back, baby back ribs commercial to drum up sales, it shouldn't be too surprising to find out that Chili's owner Brinker International reported disappointing results for its fiscal first quarter.

Restaurant earnings, on the whole, are bad enough to make any investor's stomach churn.

A t least three times this year, Orlando-based Darden Restaurants has faced pressure from groups angry about the content of TV shows on which the company ran ads.

J ulie Casey knows about family dining, both from the perspective of a restaurant professional and a mom frustrated by how little attention many eateries pay to their tiniest customers.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer.

Orlando-based Darden Restaurants created the original brand, but after selling the chain to Boca Raton-based Sun Capital Partners earlier this year, the new owners are unveiling a new look and a new philosophy for the barbecue chain.

A few years ago, I read an interview with a well-known American investment manager.

The Cash For Clunkers program was widely held as a smashing success with more than 700,000 vehicles sold with the rebates between July 27 and August 24.