8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549



                                    FORM 8-K


                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934



                Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):
                                January 18, 2000


                            Darden Restaurants, Inc.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


        Florida                     1-13666                    59-3305930
  (State or other juris-    (Commission file number)         (IRS employer
 diction of incorporation)                                 identification No.)



                 5900 Lake Ellenor Drive, Orlando, Florida 32809
                    (Address of principal executive offices)



               Registrant's telephone number, including area code:
                                 (407) 245-4000



                                 Not Applicable
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)








Item 5.           Other Events.

                  On January 18,  2000,  the  Registrant  issued a news  release
                  entitled "Darden Restaurants Awards  Distribution  Business to
                  MBM Corporation and Marriott Distribution Services."

Item 7.           Financial Statements and Exhibits.

                  (c)      Exhibits.

                           Exhibit Number     Description

                                99            Press Release dated January 18,
                                              2000, entitled "Darden Restaurants
                                              Awards Distribution Business to
                                              MBM Corporation and Marriott
                                              Distribution Services."


                                       2




                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
the  Registrant  has duly  caused  this Report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.



Dated:  January 19, 2000                 DARDEN RESTAURANTS, INC.



                                         By:  /s/ Paula J. Shives
                                              Paula J. Shives
                                              Senior Vice President,
                                              General Counsel and Secretary


                                       3



                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS


Exhibit
Number                                                               Page

  99      Press  Release dated January 18, 2000,  entitled
          "Darden  Restaurants Awards Distribution Business
          to MBM Corporation and Marriott Distribution Services."     5


                                       4

EX-99

                                                                   EXHIBIT 99

               DARDEN RESTAURANTS AWARDS DISTRIBUTION BUSINESS TO
               MBM CORPORATION AND MARRIOTT DISTRIBUTION SERVICES

         ORLANDO,  FL, January 18, 2000 - Darden  Restaurants,  Inc. (NYSE: DRI)
today  announced  that it has agreed to award its food and product  distribution
business to MBM Corporation and Marriott Distribution  Services.  The transition
will  begin  within  the next  couple  of weeks and be  completed  over the next
several months.
         "We are very pleased with our new  distributors,"  said Joe Lee, CEO of
Darden  Restaurants,  Inc.  "Both  MBM  Corporation  and  Marriott  Distribution
Services are premier leaders in the restaurant distribution industry.  These new
relationships  will  ensure  superior  service  levels  to  our  restaurants  at
competitive costs."
         MBM  Corporation  is  headquartered  in Rocky  Mount,  North  Carolina,
generates  $3.0  billion in annual  sales and  currently  operates  twenty-seven
distribution centers nationwide.
         Marriott Distribution Services, headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a
division of Marriott  International,  Inc. Distribution Services has been a part
of Marriott  since 1929,  generated  $1.2 billion in sales in 1998 and currently
operates thirteen distribution centers nationwide.
         Darden Restaurants,  in Orlando, Florida, is the world's largest casual
dining company with more than 1,120 restaurants operating under the Red Lobster,
Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze and Smokey Bones brands, with over 115,000 employees
and annual sales of $3.5 billion.


                                       5