Darden Restaurants Implements Kitchen Technology from QSR Automations; Darden Implements QSR's ePic Solution for Fast-Growing Smokey Bones.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- QSR Automations, Inc.(TM), a leading provider of innovative automation technology for the hospitality industry worldwide, is providing the ePic(TM) Kitchen Management Solution to Darden Restaurants, Inc.(R) for its Smokey Bones Barbeque and Grill restaurants. Darden, which also owns and operates more than 1,300 Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and Bahama Breeze restaurants, is using QSR's ePic Kitchen Display Software (KDS), ePic video controllers, and KP-3000(TM) keypads in all Smokey Bones Barbeque and Grill locations.

Darden's fastest growing business unit, Smokey Bones Barbeque and Grill was named a 2003 Hot Concept by Nation's Restaurant News(R), and is known for genuinely friendly, caring and engaging people who are passionate about great tasting barbeque and authentic American cuisine served in a casual, warm, lively lodge atmosphere with TV sports viewing throughout the restaurant. The company is using QSR's kitchen management system to help manage its food production and delivery.

The ePic KDS offers powerful feature sets specifically designed for the table service environment, including intuitive station views that help coordinate and organize staff activities. Using the advanced delay routing functionality of the KDS, all items within an order are ready to be served at the same time. Each menu item is routed to kitchen preparation stations based on customized routing rules that take into account the cook times of all items within the order. Front-of-house personnel easily monitor the status of their orders at the assembler view, where every change made at each kitchen station is reflected with user-defined display attributes. The KDS also manages orders for combination platters by displaying the individual items for which that particular kitchen station is responsible, while still displaying the complete combination at the assembler station view for servers.

Earlier this year Darden implemented the QSR system in all existing Smokey Bones Barbeque and Grill restaurants, and continues to install it in new Smokey Bones. To facilitate this effort, QSR customized and delivered on-site training classes for Darden's selected systems integrators. As the next step for Smokey Bones Barbeque and Grill, Darden plans to begin using the KDS alerts functionality. Triggers for raw KDS events, such as order ready or exceptions like rush orders, can be sent to servers and managers via pager.

"We are truly pleased Darden has selected QSR's solution for its Smokey Bones Barbeque and Grill restaurants, an energetic concept recognized for providing a unique quality product," said Lee Leet, QSR's president and chief executive officer. "As forward-thinking casual dining operators like Darden - who put the highest priority on customer satisfaction - experience significant benefits with QSR's innovative kitchen management technology, kitchen printers are fast becoming a tool of the past."

About QSR Automations(TM)

QSR Automations(TM) is a leading provider of innovative automation technology for the hospitality industry worldwide. QSR designs and markets intelligent, flexible software and hardware solutions that enable companies to effectively enhance the productivity of their hospitality business by successfully automating the toughest areas in the establishment, those not managed by traditional point-of-sale or backoffice systems. Since 1996, QSR has helped thousands of quick service and table service restaurants, theaters, and themeparks to make timely and accurate decisions, improve operations, and ensure customer loyalty for optimum profitability. To find out more about QSR and its solutions, visit the World Wide Web at www.qsrautomations.com, or contact QSR by calling 502-297-0221 or via e-mail at [e-mail].

About Darden Restaurants

Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: DRI), based in Orlando, Florida, employs more than 140,000 people and serves more than five million people each week. The company owns and operates over 1,300 Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, Smokey Bones Barbeque and Grill, and Seasons 52 restaurants, with annual sales of $5 billion. For more information, please visit www.darden.com.

QSR Automations, Inc., the marks QSR Automations, ePic, ConnectSmart, ConnectSmart Kitchen, eXpert, and KP-3000 are trademarks of QSR Automations, Inc.

All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.