Business Briefs: Mountain View Nissan gets award

photo Don Thomas is the general manager of Mountain View Nissan.

Mountain View Nissan gets award

The Mountain View Nissan Super Center in Chattanooga has been given an award by Nissan marking 25 years of continuous ownership.

Don Thomas, the dealership's dealer-principal and president, accepted the award from Drew Starke, dealer operations manager for Nissan.

In 2009, the dealership invested $6 million into its current location at 2100 S. Market St. The revamped Mountain View Nissan site is about 8,000 square feet larger than its previous location and can hold more than 300 new and used cars.

Darden profit falls in third quarter

Darden Restaurants' third-quarter net income dropped 18 percent as it dealt with soft sales at Red Lobster, but the performance still beat Wall Street's expectations. Revenue rose 5 percent.

Darden Restaurants Inc. has been struggling to make its brands relevant again as diners increasingly head to chains like Chipotle and Panera, where they feel they're getting restaurant-quality food without paying as much.

Revenue at Red Lobster dropped 6 percent hurt by weaker sales at established U.S. restaurants. Revenue edged up at Olive Garden and climbed almost 7 percent at LongHorn Steakhouse.

Darden's board also declared a quarterly dividend of 50 cents per share. The dividend will be paid on May 1 to shareholders of record on April 10.

Darden Restaurants shares closed at $48.96 on Thursday.

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