Darden Restaurants is expanding the footprint of three of its brands in the Lone Star State.
The parent company of Olive Garden, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, LongHorn Steakhouse, and more, is opening five new locations in the greater Houston area. All leases were represented by commercial real estate brokerage firm Baker Katz.
Darden will soon open two new Olive Garden locations in the Houston area. The first Olive Garden lease is a 7,805-sq.-ft. restaurant in Portland, Texas, opening in the second quarter of this year. The second lease is a 7,825-sq.-ft. location at The District in Edinburg, Texas, set to open in 2026.
Darden is expanding its store count for Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, also with two new leases. The first is a 6,142-sq.-ft. location in Donna, Texas, under construction with an opening scheduled for the third quarter of this year. The second Cheddar’s restaurant is located in North McAllen, Texas at Trenton North Shopping Center, and is expected to open in the fourth quarter.
Finally, Darden has opened a new LongHorn Steakhouse location in fast-growing Baytown, Texas, which opened a month ago as an addition to the Baytown Market shopping center.
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“We are proud to support Darden Restaurants and their mission to expand throughout the Lone Star State,” said Traci Holman, broker at Baker Katz. “Darden continues to prosper across Texas, bringing its well-established and growing brands to numerous markets with multiple dining options for guests.”
As of Feb. 23, 2025, Darden operated 2,165 restaurants. The company’s portfolio of brands includes Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, The Capital Grille, Chuy’s, Seasons 52, Eddie V’s, and Bahama Breeze.
https://chainstoreage.com/darden-restaurants-grows-houston-area-heres-where