Darden Restaurants, Inc. (0I77.L)

Darden beats Q1 expectations, cautious on consumer spending

While Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) has expanded with many new restaurants and beat first-quarter earnings expectations, should the Olive Garden parent company be concerned about their investment? Food inflation and rising wages continue to squeeze the consumer, however, the Q1 reports show an increase in year-over-year spending at some of their restaurants. To break down the earnings report, BTIG Managing Director and Restaurant Analyst Peter Saleh joins Yahoo Finance to discuss the risks involved with Darden's game plan and how the consumer is reacting to inflationary pressures. Saleh explains the risk behind expanding during inflation, stating that while it's "a little concerning,' Darden is seeing a beneficial trade-down from higher-income consumers spending more at some of the operator's flagship restaurants. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Yahoo Finance Live.