Who Owns Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen?

By Jahanzaib · Updated October 11, 2026 · 3 min read

Where Cheddar’s came from

Cheddar’s opened in 1979 in Arlington, Texas, with a simple idea: big portions of made from scratch comfort food at prices well below other sit down chains. It grew slowly across the South and Midwest, with some restaurants run by the company and others by franchisees, before Darden bought it and converted almost all locations to company ownership.

Ownership timeline

What Darden ownership means

Darden is one of the largest full service restaurant companies in the US. Its size gives Cheddar’s buying power for beef, chicken, produce and supplies, which helps keep menu prices low. Darden also shares systems like purchasing, technology and training across its brands, but each chain keeps its own menu and identity. That is why Cheddar’s still feels like a value focused, scratch kitchen chain rather than a copy of Olive Garden.

What this means for customers

Because most Cheddar’s restaurants are company owned, menus and prices are fairly consistent from state to state, although some markets charge a little more. The famous Honey Butter Croissants, homestyle sides and weekday lunch specials are the same nationwide. See current prices on the Cheddar’s menu, and read why it is cheaper than most chains in Why Is Cheddar’s So Cheap?

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