Darden Restaurants, Inc. (the "Company") issued a news release dated September 21, 2012, entitled "Darden Restaurants Reports First Quarter Diluted Net Earnings Per Share of 85 Cents; Declares A Quarterly Dividend of 50 Cents Per Share," a copy of which is furnished as Exhibit 99 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

The information in this Item 2.02 in this Current Report on Form 8-K, including Exhibit 99 hereto, shall not be deemed "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section. The information in this Item 2.02 of this Current Report on Form 8-K shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

(a) The Company's Annual Meeting of Shareholders was held on September 18, 2012 in Orlando, Florida.

(b) The name of each director elected at the meeting, a brief description of each other matter voted upon, and the voting results, are provided below. At the Annual Meeting, the shareholders took the following actions:

(i) Elected a full Board of 13 directors to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders and until their successors are elected and qualified:

                                                       Broker
                              For        Withheld     Non-Votes
Michael W. Barnes         95,472,925      532,102    13,736,160
Leonard L. Berry          91,058,182    4,946,845    13,736,160
Christopher J. Fraleigh   93,055,022    2,950,005    13,736,160
Victoria D. Harker        92,971,385    3,033,642    13,736,160
David H. Hughes           91,651,925    4,353,102    13,736,160
Charles A. Ledsinger, Jr. 92,440,243    3,564,784    13,736,160
William M. Lewis, Jr.     92,899,358    3,105,669    13,736,160
Senator Connie Mack, III  91,630,509    4,374,518    13,736,160
Andrew H. Madsen          91,679,778    4,325,249    13,736,160
Clarence Otis, Jr.        89,499,615    6,505,412    13,736,160
Michael D. Rose           90,730,315    5,274,712    13,736,160
Maria A. Sastre           87,920,028    8,084,999    13,736,160
William S. Simon          91,900,524    4,104,503    13,736,160

(ii) Approved a resolution providing advisory approval of the Company's Executive Compensation.

For             76,281,464
Against         19,357,106
Abstain            366,457

(iii) Ratified the appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending May 26, 2013.

For             107,324,160
Against           2,224,294
Abstain             192,733
Broker Non-Vote           0

(d) Exhibits.

 Exhibit
 Number     Description
            News release dated September 21, 2012, entitled "Darden Restaurants
            Reports First Quarter Diluted Net Earnings Per Share of 85 Cents; Declares
     99     A Quarterly Dividend of 50 Cents Per Share." *


___________________

* Previously included in Form 8-K filed earlier on the morning of September 21, 2012.