Even more Americans are about to get unlimited breadsticks and bottomless salad.
Darden Restaurants, the parent company of Olive Garden, said it’s plotting at least 40 new restaurants across its ten brands in the next year.
That includes around 20 new Olive Gardens and up to 30 new LongHorn Steakhouse locations — at a time when many rivals are slashing menus, closing locations, or disappearing entirely.
The growth push comes after a surprisingly strong earnings report for Darden, including a 6.9 percent jump in customers at Olive Garden and a similar amount at LongHorn.
Key to rising sales at Olive Garden was the return of its ‘Buy One Take One’ deal — a $14.99 promotion offering an in-restaurant entrée and a second take-home plate, a fan favorite that hadn’t been offered since 2019.
Darden’s CEO Rick Cardenas believes the deal positioned Olive Garden to compete directly with fast food giants like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King.
‘Our consumers want to go out and spend their hard-earned money,’ he said on the earnings call. ‘We think we’re taking some wallet share from fast food and fast casual.’
Olive Garden is now the second-highest grossing restaurant chain in the US, behind only Texas Roadhouse.
Olive Garden announced that it was planning on opening around ’20-ish’ new stores in the US this year
LongHorn ranks just below it at number three — giving Darden two of the country’s top three most popular sit-down restaurants by revenue.
That dominance stands in stark contrast to the rest of the industry.
Casual restaurants, which rely on discretionary spending from middle-income Americans, are reporting slower traffic and reduced customer interest.
Bloomin’ Brands, the owner of Outback Steakhouse, posted an 8.3 percent sales decline in April. McDonald’s also posted a 3.6 percent sales decline.
At the same time, they’re facing rising costs for the ingredients they use.
The toxic mix of slowing sales and higher costs has spelled doom for hundreds of restaurant locations and some of America’s most recognizable brands.
Over the past year and a half, several iconic brands have filed for bankruptcy, including TGI Fridays, Red Lobster, Hooters, Bertucci’s, and On The Border.
Even some of Darden’s brands are underwater.
Olive Garden just ended its ‘Buy One Take One’ deal that allowed shoppers to bring an additional plate home
The company beat Wall Street’s expectations at a time when other restaurant brands are struggling to keep up their revenue
Bahama Breeze, one of Olive Garden’s sister restaurants, abruptly shuttered a third of its locations earlier this year.
The company is looking to sell the brand.
Still, Olive Garden’s dominance has helped Darden buck the industry trend.
Even after losing its top spot to Texas Roadhouse in 2024 as the highest-revenue restaurant in America, it’s still delivering where it counts — with a value-seeking customer that’s as consistent as the classic chicken alfredo.
A representative for Olive Garden didn’t immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
