Darden Restaurants Inc., the owner of Olive Garden, has announced a new delivery partnership with Uber Technologies, causing its shares to rise by about 7% in premarket trading. The pilot for this service will begin at select Olive Garden locations in late 2024, with plans for a nationwide rollout by May 2025. Despite this positive development, Darden reported a decline in same-store sales of 2.9% for Olive Garden and 6% for its fine dining restaurants, attributed to decreased customer traffic amid inflation concerns. The company maintained its full-year guidance but acknowledged a significant drop in customer numbers in July, leading to lower-than-expected earnings for the first quarter. Darden's revenue for the quarter was $2.76 billion, below analyst expectations of $2.80 billion. CEO Rick Cardenas emphasized the importance of addressing customer demand for delivery without compromising the dining experience.