Ownership profile
Who owns LongHorn Steakhouse?
LongHorn Steakhouse is wholly owned by Darden Restaurants, Inc., a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker: DRI) with no private equity involvement — Darden itself has been publicly held since 1995.
Ownership profile
LongHorn Steakhouse
RARE Hospitality Management, LLC (d/b/a LongHorn Steakhouse), a wholly owned subsidiary of Darden Restaurants, Inc.
Evidence (10)
LongHorn Steakhouse is owned by Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: DRI), described as the world's largest company-owned and operated full-service restaurant group
https://franchisedarden.com/darden-international/longhorn-steakhouse/LongHorn Steakhouse operates as RARE Hospitality Management, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Darden Restaurants, headquartered in Orlando, Florida
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LongHorn_SteakhouseDarden Restaurants reported fiscal 2025 Q3 results as a public company (NYSE: DRI), with LongHorn Steakhouse segment showing 2.6% same-restaurant sales growth
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000940944/000094094425000011/exhibit991-q3fy25.htmDarden Restaurants common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DRI, confirmed in a 2025 SEC S-3ASR filing
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000940944/000119312525220709/d23061ds3asr.htmDarden Restaurants, Inc. is a Florida corporation incorporated in March 1995 and is the parent company of GMRI, Inc.; it became a separate publicly held company in 1995 when General Mills distributed all outstanding stock to General Mills stockholders
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/940944/000119312511194810/d10k.htmSEC subsidiary exhibit confirms RARE Hospitality International, Inc. is a Georgia corporation and direct wholly owned subsidiary of GMRI, Inc., doing business as LongHorn Steakhouse; RARE Hospitality Management, Inc. is a Delaware corporation and direct wholly owned subsidiary of RARE Hospitality International, Inc., also doing business as LongHorn Steakhouse
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/940944/000119312510165061/dex21.htmDarden Restaurants acquired LongHorn Steakhouse from RARE Hospitality International, Inc. in August 2007
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LongHorn_SteakhouseAll LongHorn Steakhouse locations are corporate-owned and operated by Darden Restaurants, Inc.; Darden does not sell franchise rights to individuals for domestic US locations
https://www.longhornmenu.onl/is-longhorn-steakhouse-a-franchise/LongHorn Steakhouse operates 596 locations across the United States and select territories as of May 2025
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LongHorn_SteakhouseDarden sold Red Lobster to private equity firm Golden Gate Capital in 2014 — this was a divestiture by Darden (a public company), not evidence of PE ownership of Darden itself or LongHorn Steakhouse
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/darden-announces-sale-of-red-lobster-to-golden-gate-capital-for-21-billion-259511991.htmlWhat's uncertain
- The SEC subsidiary list (Exhibit 21) reviewed is from 2010; the legal entity structure may have been updated since, though Wikipedia and franchise pages corroborate the same RARE Hospitality entity as of 2025.
- Darden does offer limited international and airport franchise rights for LongHorn; findings here pertain to the brand-level corporate owner, not any individual franchisee.
- No private equity ownership of Darden Restaurants itself was found; Darden has been a standalone public company since 1995. Its transactions with PE firms have been as a buyer (e.g., Cheddar's from L Catterton) or seller (e.g., Red Lobster to Golden Gate Capital), not as a PE-backed entity.