Olive Garden

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Olive Garden
Type	Division
Genre	Italian Restaurant
Founded	1982
Headquarters	Orlando, Florida, USA
Products	Pasta, Salad, Breadsticks, Steaks, Specialty Items
Parent	Darden Restaurants Inc.
Divisions	Red Lobster, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze
Website	[1]

Olive Garden is a casual dining American restaurant chain specializing in Italian-American food. It bills itself as a traditional family restaurant with Old World-inspired dishes. The first Olive Garden opened on December 13, 1982, in Orlando, Florida, and there are presently 611 locations throughout the United States and Canada.

[edit] History

The first Olive Garden concept store was opened in Orlando by General Mills in 1982. The chain took off, and by 1989 General Mills had opened over 145 stores, making it one of the fastest-growing units in the company's restaurant holdings. While the company did not meet critical success, it was popular, and its per-store sales soon grew to match those of sister company Red Lobster. The company eventually became the largest chain of Italian-themed full-service restaurants in the U.S.^[1] Olive Garden is currently owned by Darden Restaurants, Inc., which was spun off from General Mills in 1995.

[edit] Restaurant design

Olive Garden restaurant at Times Square, New York City

Olive Garden restaurants are an Italian style, utilizing foliage in their decor, stucco walls, and background music consisting of Italian themes.

Newer restaurants are styled after a fictional farmhouse in the town of Castellina in Chianti, Tuscany, on the grounds of the Rocca delle Macie winery. The farmhouse is home to the Riserva di Fizzano, the Olive Garden's Culinary Institute, Restaurant and Cooking School. It is led by executive chef Romana Neri.

[edit] See also

• Maggiano's Little Italy
• Romano's Macaroni Grill

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official site
• Comprehensive Collection of Olive Garden Recipes
• Olive Garden Menu
• Darden Restaurants homepage