Barington Capital pushes for Darden Restaurants' split Darden Restaurants is facing sluggish operating performance at its two biggest restaurant chains, Olive Garden and Red Lobster. In fiscal 2013, Olive Garden experienced a 2.8% decline in same-restaurant guest count, while the same-restaurant guest count of Red Lobster decreased by 1.8%. Activist hedge fund Barington Capital has been pushing the company to split into two businesses: one mature business that contains Olive Garden and Red Lobster and one growth business that contains LongHorn and other specialty restaurant brands.