LongHorn Steakhouse is experiencing strong growth in the United States, increasing sales by 9.3% and accelerating its expansion plans. The chain, known for its steaks, now boasts over 500 locations across the country. Sales rose 4% at Longhorn Steakhouse locations but declined at other sites. Darden Restaurants, the parent company of Olive Garden and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, exceeded analysts’ expectations with its quarterly earnings results.
Darden Restaurants, the company behind LongHorn Steakhouse, announced a successful fourth quarter of 2025
The sales increase was due to the addition of 21 new restaurants and a 5.9% growth in same-store sales, he explained. The restaurant is considered “tastier than Texas Roadhouse” and will now open 21 new locations. Darden Restaurants, the company behind LongHorn Steakhouse, announced a successful fourth quarter of 2025 in a conference call on Thursday. Vennam announced in June that Darden planned to open between 40 and 45 restaurants between Olive Garden and LongHorn next year, according to local media.
Darden reported fourth-quarter revenue of $308.1 million, down from $315.1 million a year ago
Specifically, the chief financial officer said the company believed there was a “significant opportunity” for LongHorn to open 25 to 30 locations per year. Darden reported fourth-quarter revenue of $308.1 million, down from $315.1 million a year ago, with adjusted earnings per share of $2.65, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.61, according to MarketWatch. LongHorn Steakhouse already has plans for new openings, as explained above.
“We had a solid year by staying disciplined, being brilliant with the basics, and controlling what we could control”
On one hand, sales increased 4% at Longhorn Steakhouse, decreased 1.5% at Olive Garden, and fell 2.6% in the fine dining segment. While sales rose 6.8% to $2.96 million, analysts had expected $2.97 million, MarketWatch and CNBC reported. “We had a solid year by staying disciplined, being brilliant with the basics, and controlling what we could control,” said President Darden & CEO Rick Cardenas.
The chain will open near Interstate 43, close to Olive Garden and Texas Roadhouse
“This allowed us to surpass the high end of the EPS range we provided at the beginning of the fiscal year, despite the debilitating conditions that emerged in the latter half of the year,” Cardenas said. Regarding consumer tastes, Cardenas said customers tend to order more chicken and seafood, and slightly less beef than in the dining room. As for utilizing extensions like Uber, “It’s something LongHorn is learning from other brands. To see if it makes sense for us to launch Uber Direct,” the CEO said, adding, “And if it does, we’ll start testing it. But we don’t have anything to say about it right now.” The chain will open near Interstate 43, close to Olive Garden and Texas Roadhouse. Specifically, construction is currently underway in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and is slated to open in 2026, according to the Sheboygan Press.
Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse impressively demonstrate why they are among the strongest brands in the U.S.
In addition, overall sales increased 6.8% to $11.4 billion through the addition of 80 company-owned Ruth’s Chris Steak House restaurants and 37 other net new restaurants, according to the company’s release. Clearly, inflation has significantly impacted the U.S. economy, but some sectors have managed to navigate these challenges remarkably well. Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse impressively demonstrate why they are among the strongest brands in the U.S. food service market.