UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
( ) Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16.
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
OTIS, JR., CLARENCE
5900 LAKE ELLENOR DRIVE
P. O. BOX 593330
ORLANDO, FL 32859-3330
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
DARDEN RESTAURANTS, INC. (DRI)
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
4. Statement for Month/Year
12/2000
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
( ) Director ( ) 10% Owner
(X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other (specify below)
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
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>
TABLE I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
<CAPTION>
+---------------------------------+----------+-------------+-----------------------------+----------------+-----------+------------+
|1. Title of Security |2. Trans- |3. Trans- |4. Securities Acquired (A) |5. Amount of |6. Owner- |7. Nature |
| | action | action | or Disposed of (D) | Securities | ship | of In- |
| | Date | Code | | Beneficially | Form: | direct |
| | | | | Owned at | Direct | Bene- |
| | (Month/ | | | End of | (D) or | ficial |
| | Day/ +-------+-----+-----------+------+----------+ Month | Indirect| Owner- |
| | Year) |Code |V |Amount |A/D |Price | | (I) | ship |
+---------------------------------+----------+-------+-----+-----------+------+----------+----------------+-----------+------------+
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Common Stock 12/18/2000 F V -1473 D $25.343700 51625 D
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
TABLE II -- Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
<CAPTION>
+-------------+--------+----------+---------+-----------+---------------------+----------------+----------+--------+-------+-------+
|1. |2. |3. |4. |5. |6. |7. |8. |9. |10. |11. |
| | | | | | | | |Number |Owner- | |
| | | | | | | | |of |ship | |
| | | | | | | | |Deriv- |Form of| |
| | | | | | |Title and Amount| |ative |Deriv- | |
| | | | | | |of Underlying | |Secur- |ative |Nature |
| |Conver- | | |Number of | |Securities | |ities |Secur- |of |
| |sion or | | |Derivative |Date Exercisable +-------+--------+ |Benefi- |ity: |In- |
| |Exercise| | |Securities |and Expiration Date | |Amount | |cially |Direct |direct |
| |Price of|Transac- |Transac- |Acquired(A)|(Month/Day/Year) | |or | |Owned |(D) or |Bene- |
|Title of |Deriv- |tion Date |tion Code|Disposed(D)+----------+----------+ |Number |Price of |at End |In- |ficial |
|Derivative |ative |(Month/ +------+--+-----+-----+Date Exer-|Expira- | |of |Derivative|of |direct |Owner- |
|Security |Security|Day/Year) |Code |V |(A) |(D) |cisable |tion Date |Title |Shares |Security |Month |(I) |ship |
+-------------+--------+----------+------+--+-----+-----+----------+----------+-------+--------+----------+--------+-------+-------+
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C><C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
</TABLE>
Explanation of Responses:
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/s/ CLARENCE OTIS, JR.
DATE
01/08/2001
