The short answer
Darden is DOUBTFUL in ZakatInvest's qualitative classification. Its reported debt, liquidity and receivables ratios are below the examined asset-based financial limits, but the restaurant portfolio has material alcohol and non-halal-meat exposure that requires stricter qualitative review.
This is a reproducible research screen, not a fatwa or investment recommendation. Readers should apply their school's principles and consult a qualified scholar for a binding ruling.
Current quantitative Sharia screen
Based on 10-Q figures for the period ended 2026-02-22; calculated 2026-07-13.
2,431 / 12,888.8
240.4 / 12,888.8
348.1 / 12,888.8
- Financial
- Incomplete
- Overall
- Incomplete
Debt is 18.86%, liquidity is 1.87% and receivables plus cash are 2.70%, all below the examined FTSE asset limits. The filing does not disclose standalone interest income, so the FTSE income component remains incomplete.
- Financial
- Pass
- Overall
- Incomplete
Debt is 18.86%, liquidity is 1.87% and receivables plus cash are 2.70%, below the examined MSCI total-assets limits. The business screen remains incomplete because no universal prohibited-revenue numerator is disclosed.
- Financial
- Pass
- Overall
- Incomplete
Debt is 18.86% and liquidity is 1.87%, below the examined Malaysia SAC financial limits. The business screen remains incomplete because no universal prohibited-revenue numerator is disclosed.
- Financial
- Not calculated
- Overall
- Not calculated
A properly licensed and reproducible historical market-cap series is not stored, so these methods are not estimated from a current spot price.
Business-activity disclosure
Darden operates full-service restaurant brands including Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Fine Dining, Yard House, Ruth's Chris, Cheddar's, Bahama Breeze and Chuy's. Restaurant and food-service operation is permissible at the activity level, but alcohol sales and non-halal-certified meat create material qualitative Sharia concerns.
Limitation: The filing does not allocate a universal prohibited-revenue numerator for alcohol, pork, non-halal meat or other menu items across brands; no exact prohibited-revenue percentage is asserted.
Purification
Darden's filing reports net interest expense rather than a standalone interest-income amount and does not prescribe a scholar-approved purification percentage. Readers should follow the qualified scholar or methodology they use rather than applying an invented fixed rate.
Inputs, assumptions and primary sources
- Inputs use Darden's February 22, 2026 Form 10-Q; amounts are USD millions and revenue is for the nine months ended February 22, 2026.
- Debt uses $290.0 million of short-term debt plus $2,141.0 million of long-term debt. Operating lease liabilities are not added separately.
- Cash uses $240.4 million of cash and cash equivalents. The filing does not report a separate current securities balance used in this screen.
- Receivables use $107.7 million of net receivables. Inventories and prepaid and other current assets are not added.
- The filing reports net interest expense rather than a standalone interest-income line; no non-compliant-income numerator or fixed purification rate is inferred.
This is a reproducible financial screen, not a fatwa. A failed total-assets screen can coexist with a pass under a market-cap methodology. ZakatInvest keeps the qualitative assessment separate so numerical thresholds do not erase material context.
Current quantitative screen
The calculations use Darden's official filing at the SEC (third-quarter fiscal 2026 Form 10-Q). Amounts are in USD millions and use total assets as the denominator.
- Interest-bearing debt / assets: 18.86%, using $290.0 million of short-term debt plus $2,141.0 million of long-term debt.
- Cash / assets: 1.87%, using $240.4 million of cash and cash equivalents.
- Receivables plus cash / assets: 2.70%, using $107.7 million of net receivables plus cash.
- Standalone interest income: not disclosed in the filing; it reports net interest expense, so no interest-income ratio or fixed purification rate is inferred.
The examined asset-based debt, liquidity and receivables ratios are below the named limits. FTSE's income component remains incomplete because the filing does not provide a standalone interest-income numerator. Market-cap denominator methods are not calculated because ZakatInvest does not store a licensed, reproducible historical market-cap series.
Darden's business activity
Darden operates full-service restaurant brands including Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Fine Dining, Yard House, Ruth's Chris, Cheddar's, Bahama Breeze and Chuy's. Restaurant and food-service operation is permissible at the activity level, but the filing does not allocate a universal prohibited-revenue numerator by alcohol, pork or non-halal meat, so the quantitative business-activity field remains incomplete.
Qualitative considerations
- Alcohol sales: beer, wine and spirits are sold across the full-service portfolio, with especially prominent beverage programs in concepts such as Yard House. Some scholars treat this exposure as disqualifying without requiring a consolidated percentage.
- Non-halal meat: menus include pork products and non-halal-certified meat across brands; investors may apply stricter product-level standards.
- Brand mix: Chuy's integration, Bahama Breeze closures and brand conversions can change the portfolio over time.
- Leverage: commercial paper and long-term debt are used alongside restaurant investment, dividends and repurchases; changes in borrowings should be monitored.
Purification and the verdict
Darden's filing reports net interest expense rather than a standalone interest-income amount and does not prescribe a scholar-approved purification percentage. Follow the qualified scholar or methodology you use rather than applying an invented fixed rate.
DRI is DOUBTFUL in ZakatInvest's qualitative classification. The current asset-based financial ratios are below the examined limits, but alcohol and non-halal-meat exposure make the overall Sharia assessment methodology- and school-dependent.
Use the screen alongside your school's principles and consult a qualified scholar before investing.
Find halal alternatives →