Darden Restaurants Agrees To Acquire Yard House USA, Inc. For $585 Million

Darden Restaurants, Inc.

today announced that it has agreed to acquire Yard House USA, Inc. for $585 million in an all-cash transaction from private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners LLC, management and investors.  The total transaction price of $585 million includes approximately $30 million of cash tax benefits that are expected to be realized by Darden in fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2014.  The brand will become part of Darden's Specialty Restaurant Group, which includes The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52 and Eddie V's.  Including acquisition-related costs of approximately seven to ten cents per share, offset partially by Yard House's earnings from operations, the transaction is expected to be dilutive to Darden's diluted net earnings per share in fiscal 2013 by approximately three to five cents and accretive thereafter.  Darden expects to complete the transaction early in its fiscal second quarter.