Full History Of Olive Garden In Timeline From 1982

December 13, 1982: First Olive Garden Restaurant Opens

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

1989: Rapid Expansion of Olive Garden

By 1989, there were 145 Olive Garden restaurants, making it the fastest-growing units in General Mills' restaurant division.

1995: General Mills Spins Off Restaurant Holdings

In 1995, General Mills spun off its restaurant holdings as Darden Restaurants, a stand-alone company named after Red Lobster founder Bill Darden.

1998: Olive Garden Rebranding

In 1998, Olive Garden rebranded by removing 'The' from its name and introduced the slogan 'When you're here, you're family'.

1999: Culinary Institute of Tuscany Founded

In 1999, Olive Garden's Culinary Institute of Tuscany was founded, inspired by a farmhouse in Castellina in Chianti, Tuscany, located on the grounds of the Rocca delle Macie winery.

2009: Olive Garden as Darden's Most Inexpensive Chain

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

June 2010: Introduction of 'Dolcini' Desserts

In June 2010, Olive Garden began selling smaller dessert portions called 'dolcini', modeled after Season 52's 'mini-indulgences' product line.

2010: Sales Comparison with Competitors

In 2010, Olive Garden generated $3.3 billion in sales, significantly more than its closest competitor, Carrabba's Italian Grill, which generated $650.5 million.

February 2011: Expansion Announced at Darden Analyst Conference

In February 2011, Darden announced plans to add over 200 Olive Garden locations and to explore new international markets, including the Middle East and Asia. The company also announced a new franchising partnership direction.

2011: Sales Decline and New Promotion

By 2012, sales at Olive Garden had decreased. In the final quarter of 2011, sales at established locations dropped by 2.5%. The company introduced a three-course meal for $12.95 to counteract the decline.

2011: Co-Locating Olive Garden and Red Lobster

In 2011, Darden announced plans to co-locate Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants in smaller markets, with separate entrances and dining areas but shared kitchen and support areas.

2011: Implementation of Mandatory Tip-Out Program

In 2011, Olive Garden implemented a mandatory tip-out program, allowing them to reduce more employees' hourly wages to $2.13 per hour.

October 2012: Part-Time Conversion to Limit Healthcare Costs

In October 2012, Olive Garden began testing the conversion of most of its staff to part-time to limit the cost of paying for full-time employee health care benefits.

2012: Sales Decline and New Promotion

By 2012, sales at Olive Garden had decreased. In the final quarter of 2011, sales at established locations dropped by 2.5%. The company introduced a three-course meal for $12.95 to counteract the decline.

2013: Slogan Change

In early 2013, Olive Garden changed its slogan from 'When you're here, you're family' to 'We're all family here'.

2013: Never Ending Pasta Bowl Promotion

In the fall of 2013, Olive Garden started the 'Never Ending Pasta Bowl' promotion, serving over 13 million bowls of pasta at a starting price of $9.99.

July 9, 2014: New Logo and Restaurant Design

On July 9, 2014, Olive Garden launched a new logo and restaurant design, which included the addition of online ordering and smaller lunch portions.

September 2014: Activist Hedge Fund Challenges Darden

In September 2014, Starboard Value, an activist hedge fund, released a 294-slide presentation criticizing Darden's management, particularly focusing on Olive Garden's shortcomings. The presentation received significant media attention.

2014: Darden Announces Sale of Red Lobster

In 2014, Darden announced plans to sell Red Lobster, close two co-located Olive Garden and Red Lobster locations, and convert the remaining four co-locations into standalone Olive Garden restaurants.

2014: Introduction of Never Ending Pasta Pass

In 2014, Olive Garden introduced the 'Never Ending Pasta Pass', allowing customers to eat unlimited pasta for seven weeks for $99. This promotion was limited to the first 1000 online purchasers.

August 2019: Response to False Claims About Campaign Financing

In August 2019, Darden responded to false claims that Olive Garden was financing Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign, clarifying that the company does not donate to presidential candidates.

2019: Lifetime Pasta Pass

In 2019, Olive Garden introduced the 'Lifetime Pasta Pass', offered to the first fifty diners who signed up for the Never Ending Pasta Pass.

2020: Response to False Claims About Campaign Financing