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OLIVE Garden has confirmed customers will see another option for getting their favorite dishes, but some fear it’ll result in price bumps.
The chain’s parent company, Darden Restaurants, confirmed the update on Thursday.
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Starting this fall at select Olive Garden locations, customers can order delivery online that Uber will then fulfill.
It’s part of a brand-new “multi-year delivery partnership,” with Olive Garden being the first of Darden Restaurants’ brands to test it.
Uber and Darden Restaurants are confident the pilot will succeed and lead to an expansion at all Olive Garden locations by 2025.
Still, guests won’t be able to order their Olive Garden favorites through Uber Eats.
Read More on Olive Garden
Orders must be completed through specifically Olive Garden’s website or mobile app, and then Uber Direct completes them.
Uber Direct allows certain merchants (Olive Garden, in this case) to use its delivery drivers, tech, and network.
Darden Restaurants said it would give “fans access to stress-free delivery while guest data and insights will remain with Olive Garden.”
Rick Cardenas, president and CEO of Darden Restaurants, said the company had noticed an increased customer demand for the convenience of delivery orders.
The tough part was finding a way to offer the option without disrupting a brand like Olive Garden’s foundational business model.
“Guests have been asking us for home delivery options, and they continue to show they are willing to pay for the convenience,” Cardenas explained.
“As we continued to evaluate delivery, it was important for us to find a way to address this guest need state without disrupting the team member or guest experience and without compromising our competitive advantages and simple operating model.”
Sarfraz Maredia, vice president of delivery and head of Americas at Uber Eats, also stressed that the partnership with Darden Restuarants would provide a “convenient and reliable experience that is foundational to both of our brands.”
Maredia added that delivery was becoming a staple expectation from consumers in 2024, especially from their favorite restaurants.
PRICE FEARS
While the Uber delivery option would seemingly be a positive for customers, some feared that it meant prices would go up for the convenience.
Olive Garden’s Never-Ending Pasta Bowl Deal
The chain restaurant is officially bringing back its Never-Ending Pasta Bowl, a limited-time promotion that typically reappears annually each fall.
Olive Garden announced that the deal will start at just $13.99 – the same price tag it started with in 2022.
This year, the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl will become available to all customers starting on August 26.
However, Olive Garden’s eClub members and social media followers will have early access to the in-restaurant offer starting on August 19, as the restaurant has been promoting on their TikTok page.
Those who take advantage of the promotion will be able to enjoy unlimited breadsticks and either soup or salad, as well as create their own pasta dishes by choosing from a list of noodle and sauce varieties.
Customers will have 80 different flavor combinations to choose from.
“Means prices going up,” someone commented in a post on Facebook about the update.
“Partnering doesn’t always mean a better deal or experience for customers,” another echoed.
“I am sorry nobody touches my food or meals,” a third wrote.
It’s not completely unwarranted for customers to suspect a price increase amid the Uber partnership.
COSTLY CHANGE
Olive Garden confirmed earlier this year that it would be increasing menu costs to align more with inflation rates.
The move was noted by Raj Vennam, CFO for Darden Restaurants, during an earnings call in June.
Increases would be around 2.5% to 3% throughout 2024 and into next year, according to Vennam.
The CFO stressed that Olive Garden had kept menu prices “very modest” for the past five years for customers.
Olive Garden’s Never-Ending Pasta Bowl deal is also back for customers a little bit earlier this year as it tries to overcome some sales struggles.
Some customers can also find Olive Garden’s viral mints at Dollar Tree, but they are “under another name.”
