Last Updated:

2024-04-26 01:10:06

Olive Garden

American Italian restaurant chain

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American Italian restaurant chain

Olive Garden is a popular American casual dining restaurant chain known for its Italian-American cuisine. It is a subsidiary of Darden Restaurants, Inc., based in Orange County, Florida. As of 2022, Olive Garden contributed $4.5 billion to Darden's $9.63 billion revenue.

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1982-12-13

Opening of the First Olive Garden Restaurant

The first Olive Garden restaurant was opened on December 13, 1982, in Orlando, Florida by co-founders Blaine Sweatt, Mark Given, Gino DeSantis and Dave Manuchia.

1986-09

First Winery at Olive Garden

In September 1986, Olive Garden started its first winery and began selling wine in the restaurant.

1989-01-01

Expansion of Olive Garden Restaurants

On January 1, 1989, Olive Garden expanded its chain of restaurants.

1990

Olive Garden Celebrates Italian Life

Olive Garden has a vision of bringing the best of Italy to their restaurants through food, wine, atmosphere, and service. They draw inspiration from Italy for everything they do.

1995

General Mills Spinning Off Olive Garden

In 1995, General Mills spun off Olive Garden and other popular restaurant chains into a new, stockholder-owned company called Darden Restaurants Inc.

1998

Olive Garden's Wine Ambassadors program

Since 1998, Olive Garden has been sending a group of select servers to Italy to learn about Italy's passion for food and wine.

1999-01-01

Olive Garden owned by Darden Restaurants

Starting from January 1, 1999, Olive Garden came under the ownership of Darden Restaurants after breaking off from General Mills.

2001

Donation of 49 Million Pounds of Food

Over the span of 20 years, Olive Garden restaurants have donated more than 49 million pounds of food to those in need.

2002-12-07

Olive Garden 20th Anniversary Celebration

Olive Garden commemorates its 20th anniversary on December 7, 2002.

2002-12-17

Olive Garden Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Olive Garden celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2002, marking the achievement of 32 consecutive quarters of same-restaurant sales growth. The chain is inspired by Italian culture and partnerships, delighting millions of guests weekly.

2003

Olive Garden Harvest Program

In 2003, Olive Garden created the Harvest program to gather surplus food from all its restaurants and donate it to local non-profit organizations on a weekly basis.

2009

Olive Garden's Affordability

In 2009, Olive Garden was Darden's most inexpensive restaurant chain with an average check per person of $15.00 (USD) versus over $90 at its sibling Capital Grille.

2010

Olive Garden Sales in 2010

In 2010, Olive Garden generated $3.3 billion in sales, surpassing its closest competitor Carrabba's Italian Grill.

2011-02-02

Expansion of Olive Garden Restaurants

As of February 2, 2011, Olive Garden had over 730 restaurants operating globally, indicating significant growth and presence in the restaurant industry.

2012

Conversion of Olive Garden Staff to Part-Time

In October 2012, Olive Garden tested converting most staff to part-time to manage healthcare benefit costs for full-time employees.

2013

Evolution of Olive Garden Slogans

Olive Garden's slogans evolved from 'Good Times, Great Salad, Olive Garden' to 'When you're here, you're family' and later to 'We're all family here' in early 2013.

2014-07-09

Launch of New Logo and Restaurant Design at Olive Garden

On July 9, 2014, Olive Garden unveiled a new logo and restaurant design, introducing online ordering and smaller lunch portions.

2019

Lifetime Pasta Pass

In 2019, Olive Garden introduced the 'Lifetime Pasta Pass', which was offered to the first fifty diners who signed up for the never-ending pasta pass. After receiving the first pass, selectees were given the opportunity to sign up for a second one.

2021

Olive Garden's Family Culture

Olive Garden emphasizes a family-like atmosphere within its restaurants, where employees are encouraged to support each other, grow together, and prioritize guest satisfaction.

2022-02-13

Number of Olive Garden Restaurants

As of February 13, 2022, Olive Garden operates 922 restaurants globally.

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Olive Garden