UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM 3
INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES


1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
   MCGILLICUDY, CORNELIUS
   5900 LAKE ELLENOR DRIVE
   P. O. BOX 593330
   ORLANDO, FL 32859-3330
2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
   03/21/2001
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
4. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
   DARDEN RESTAURANTS, INC. (DRI)
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   (X) Director                   ( ) 10% Owner
   ( ) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other (specify below)
6. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
   (X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
   ( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

TABLE I -- Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned

+------------------------------------------+----------------------+----------------+-----------------------------------------------+
|1. Title of Security                      |2. Amount of          |3. Ownership    |4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership     |
|                                          |   Securities         |   Form:        |                                               |
|                                          |   Beneficially Owned |   Direct(D) or |                                               |
|                                          |                      |   Indirect(I)  |                                               |
+------------------------------------------+----------------------+----------------+-----------------------------------------------+
                                                                           





TABLE II -- Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned

+-----------------------+---------------------+---------------------------------+----------+-------------+-------------------------+
|1.Title of Derivative  |2.Date Exercisable   |3.Title and Amount of Securities |4.Conver- |5.Ownership  |6. Nature of Indirect    |
|  Security             |  and Expiration Date|  Underlying Derivative          | sion or  | Form of     |   Beneficial Ownership  |
|                       |  (Month/Day/Year)   |  Security                       | Exercise | Derivative  |                         |
|                       +----------+----------+-----------------------+---------+ Price of | Security:   |                         |
|                       | Date     | Expira-  |                       |Amount or| Deri-    | Direct(D) or|                         |
|                       | Exer-    | tion     |         Title         |Number of| vative   | Indirect(I) |                         |
|                       | cisable  | Date     |                       |Shares   | Security |             |                         |
+-----------------------+----------+----------+-----------------------+---------+----------+-------------+-------------------------+
                                                                                     


Explanation of Responses:

SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/s/ CORNELIUS MCGILLICUDY

DATE
03/28/2001