Darden Restaurants will spin off seafood chain Red Lobster into a separate company next year, but it will also consider a sale of the 705-unit chain if that would raise more cash. All three of its long-time chains saw same-store sales fall last quarter, and the company announced cost-cutting plans including halting expansion at Olive Garden, slowing new store openings at LongHorn Steakhouse and putting the brakes on buying new brands. Read the Bloomberg Businessweek story here.



