Olive Garden to bring back TWO fan favorite items as sales plummet and fears grow over future of chain

Olive Garden is acceptable to bring backmost 2 instrumentality favourite paper items arsenic the concatenation battles falling sales.

The Italian chain, with 900 locations, volition soon offer Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo and Stuffed Chicken Marsala again. 

Both items were axed during the pandemic erstwhile menus were simplified. 

They volition present instrumentality with 'higher-quality ingredients,' Rick Cardenas, CEO of Olive Garden's genitor institution Darden, said connected a caller net call. 

When the instrumentality of the 2 items was announced astatine a league for wide managers successful August, the quality was met with 'tremendous applause.' 

The determination comes aft disappointing fiscal results for the concatenation successful the 3rd quarter, with same-store income dropping astir 3 percent successful the period.

Foot postulation was besides down, dropping disconnected after  Fourth of July celebrations, and wide visitors declined 5 percent twelvemonth implicit year.

Darden bosses blamed the mediocre results on weather, a emergence successful Covid cases, the Olympics and governmental upheaval.

As good arsenic revamping its instrumentality favourite items the concatenation is extending its 'Never-Ending Pasta Bowl' promotion for a further 3 weeks. 

Cardenas said the yearly promotion is fashionable crossed income brackets and that it is being taken up astatine a higher complaint than accustomed this year. 

Fans of the edifice concatenation person agelong lamented that its pastas dishes and breadstuff sticks were not disposable for delivery. 

Last week, we reported however Olive Garden is to finally connection its nutrient via transportation services similar Uber Eats and DoorDash.

The concatenation had resisted joining its competitors successful utilizing transportation services - claiming it did not privation a third-party coming betwixt the marque and its guests. 

Now, bosses person launched a two-year concern with Uber. The large U-turn has delighted fans.

'Great quality for foodies everywhere!' 1 instrumentality wrote connected X.

'Now I tin get my breadstick craving astatine location too,' different commented.

Olive Garden angered its customers by hiking its prices earlier this summer contempt lackluster sales. 

Executives announced successful June that prices would emergence 2.5 to 3 percent at not conscionable Olive Garden but crossed Darden's monolithic portfolio of restaurants.

CEO Rick Cardenas besides said the institution would not beryllium moving deals to pull inflation-weary customers arsenic rivals had.  

He was referring to rivals like Chilli's - with an appetizer, entree and portion woody for $11 - and Applebee's, which has 2 for $20 offers.

Casual eating chains similar these person joined accelerated nutrient companies successful offering worth deals arsenic inflation weary customers chopped backmost connected eating retired aft years of rising prices. 

The likes of McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's person a $5 repast woody that comes with a burger, nuggets, fries and a drink. 

KFC revamped its $5 repast deal arsenic it battles McDonald's and Wendy's, but there's a drawback - it doesn't travel with a drink. 

Popular sandwich chain Jimmy John's is offering a $10 Total Package Meal, which includes an 8-inch sandwich, a fountain drink, chips and a cooky oregon brownie. 

White Castle has slashed the terms of its famed sliders to the lowest magnitude successful a decade. The household tally business, with 335 locations, is offering 10 food sliders for $7.99 - much than 30 percent disconnected the regular price.

Starbucks besides made a astonishment introduction into the worth warfare earlier this summertime with a java and nutrient meal combo from $5.