U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, DC 20549 FORM 4 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 [_] Check box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b). ________________________________________________________________________________ 1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* LYONS DANIEL M. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Last) (First) (Middle) 5900 LAKE ELLENOR DRIVE P.O. Box 593330 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Street) ORLANDO FL 32859-3330 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (City) (State) (Zip) ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol DARDEN RESTAURANTS, INC. (DRI) ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. IRS Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an Entity (Voluntary) ________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Statement for Month/Year 01/10/2003 ________________________________________________________________________________ 5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year) ________________________________________________________________________________ 6. Relationship of Reporting Person to Issuer (Check all applicable) [_] Director [_] 10% Owner [X] Officer (give title below) [_] Other (specify below) SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT ________________________________________________________________________________ 7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check applicable line) [X] Form filed by one Reporting Person [_] Form filed by more than one Reporting Person ________________________________________________________________________________ ================================================================================ Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned ================================================================================ 6. 4. 5. Owner- Securities Acquired (A) or Amount of ship 3. Disposed of (D) Securities Form: 7. Transaction (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) Beneficially Direct Nature of 2. Code ------------------------------- Owned at End (D) or Indirect 1. Transaction (Instr. 8) (A) of Month Indirect Beneficial Title of Security Date ------------ Amount or Price (Instr. 3 (I) Ownership (Instr. 3) (mm/dd/yy) Code V (D) and 4) (Instr.4) (Instr. 4) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common Stock 01/10/03 M 1,967 A $8.1145 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common Stock 01/10/03 M 19,554 A $7.7087 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common Stock 01/10/03 M 11,453 A $7.407 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common Stock 01/10/03 M 1,397 A $7.1987 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common Stock 01/10/03 M 1,625 A $6.431 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common Stock 01/10/03 M 19,554 A $6.4678 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common Stock 01/10/03 M 9,652 A $6.608 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common Stock 01/10/03 M 694 A $6.608 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common Stock 01/10/03 M 3,548 A $6.4763 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common Stock 01/10/03 S 1,967 D $22.797 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common Stock 01/10/03 S 19,554 D $22.797 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common Stock 01/10/03 S 11,453 D $22.797 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common Stock 01/10/03 S 1,397 D $22.797 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common Stock 01/10/03 S 1,625 D $22.797 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common Stock 01/10/03 S 19,554 D $22.797 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common Stock 01/10/03 S 694 D $22.797 57,580 (1) D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Savings Common Stock 346.4916 (2) I Plan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ==================================================================================================================================== * If the Form is filed by more than one Reporting Person, see Instruction 4(b)(v). Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. (Print or Type Response) (Over) FORM 4 (continued) Table II -- Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities) ================================================================================ 10. 9. Owner- Number ship of Form 2. Deriv- of Conver- 5. 7. ative Deriv- 11. sion Number of Title and Amount Secur- ative Nature or Derivative 6. of Underlying 8. ities Secur- of Exer- 4. Securities Date Securities Price Bene- ity: In- cise 3. Trans- Acquired (A) Exercisable and (Instr. 3 and 4) of ficially Direct direct Price Trans- action or Disposed Expiration Date ---------------- Deriv- Owned (D) or Bene- 1. of action Code of(D) (Month/Day/Year) Amount ative at End In- ficial Title of Deriv- Date (Instr. (Instr. 3, ---------------- or Secur- of direct Owner- Derivative ative (Month/ 8) 4 and 5) Date Expira- Number ity Month (I) ship Security Secur- Day/ ------ ------------ Exer- tion of (Instr. (Instr. (Instr. (Instr. (Instr. 3) ity Year) Code V (A) (D) cisable Date Title Shares 5) 4) 4) 4) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stock Option 1/18/97 Common (right to buy) $8.1145 01/10/03 M 1,967 (3) 02/18/03 Stock 1,967 0 (1) D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stock Option 06/28/97 Common (right to buy) $7.7087 01/10/03 M 19,554 (3) 07/28/03 Stock 19,554 0 (1) D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stock Option 09/20/93 Common (right to buy) $7.407 01/10/03 M 11,453 (4) 10/20/03 Stock 11,453 0 (1) D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stock Option 12/13/96 Common (right to buy) $7.1987 01/10/03 M 1,397 (3) 01/13/04 Stock 1,397 0 (1) D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stock Option 06/01/94 Common (right to buy) $6.431 01/10/03 M 1,625 (4) 07/01/04 Stock 1,625 0 (1) D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stock Option 06/27/99 Common (right to buy) $6.4678 01/10/03 M 19,554 (3) 07/27/04 Stock 19,554 0 (1) D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stock Option 09/19/94 Common (right to buy) $6.608 01/10/03 M 9,652 (4) 10/19/04 Stock 9,652 694 (1) D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stock Option 09/19/94 Common (right to buy) $6.608 01/10/03 M 694 (4) 10/19/04 Stock 694 0 (1) D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stock Option 12/12/99 Common (right to buy) $6.4763 01/10/03 M 3,548 (3) 01/12/05 Stock 3,548 0 (1) D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ==================================================================================================================================== Explanation of Responses: (1): Represents number of securities beneficially owned as of 1/10/03. (2): The number of shares reported is based on a plan statement dated December 31, 2002, and is derived from an undivided interest in a fund consisting of both Darden common stock and a small cash position that fluctuates from time to time. The number of shares may change based on the size of the cash position at the time of reporting. (3): The option vested 100% the date indicated. (4): The option vested in five equal annual installments beginning the date indicated, which is the grant date. /s/ Douglas E. Wentz 01/14/03 --------------------------------------------- ----------------------- **Signature of Reporting Person Date BY: DOUGLAS E. WENTZ, Attorney-in-fact for LYONS, DANIEL M. 5900 LAKE ELLENOR DRIVE P.O. BOX 593330 ORLANDO, FLORIDA 32859-3330 DARDEN RESTAURANTS, INC. (DRI) ** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a). Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space provided is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure. Page 2