Olive Garden news and trends

Darden Says Boosting Brands Pays Off Better Than Promotions
Restaurant innovation // September 22, 2023

Darden Restaurants, the parent company of popular dining chains including Olive Garden, The Capital Grille and LongHorn Steakhouse, has adopted a strategic shift in its marketing approach. Instead of relying heavily on short-term promotions, the company is focusing on building brand equity — the value...

Darden: Restaurant Customers Skip the Fancy Wine Amid Financial Challenges
Earnings // September 21, 2023

As consumers struggle with ongoing budgetary pressures, many are reining in their alcohol spending at nice restaurants by sticking to more budget-friendly brands, Darden Restaurants observed. The full-service restaurant (FSR) group, which is the parent company of Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and a number of...

Olive Garden Parent Keeps Delivery Off its Table
Delivery // September 22, 2022

Darden, the parent company of a range of popular full-service restaurant (FSR) brands including Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen and others, continues to opt out of the delivery game, despite widespread demand for the channel. Darden President and CEO Rick Cardenas argued on...

Starbucks Partners with DoorDash; SkipTheDishes Lays Off 350 Employees
Restaurant Roundup // September 16, 2022

After years of being conspicuously absent from the DoorDash marketplace, Starbucks is finally appearing on the platform. The coffeehouse chain, the world’s largest restaurant company by revenue, revealed Tuesday (Sept. 13) that it has partnered with the United States’ leading aggregator as part of a...

Interviews & Exclusives
How Olive Garden Is Helping Set The Digital QSR Innovation Table

September 23, 2019
To-go service is getting more important, and online ordering still needs to be made simpler. Those are among the main lessons from the latest report that helps to detail digital and mobile progress in the world of quick-service restaurants (QSRs). As PYMNTS readers know, the QSR industry is undergoing historic innovation and disruption — and […]

Quick Reads
Darden’s Sales Climb Even as Lower-Income Diners Stay Home

March 21, 2024
Olive Garden owner Darden has seen a drop in lower-income diners patronizing its restaurants. The company, which also owns Longhorn Steakhouse, on Thursday (March 21) reported earnings that showed sales up 6.8% for the quarter, driven primarily by its recently-acquired Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse chain. However, a recurring theme during the company’s earnings call was pullback among lower-income consumers. “We’re clearly seeing consumer behavior […]

Darden Says Boosting Brands Pays Off Better Than Promotions

September 22, 2023
Darden Restaurants, the parent company of popular dining chains including Olive Garden, The Capital Grille and LongHorn Steakhouse, has adopted a strategic shift in its marketing approach. Instead of relying...

Big Retailers Raising Wages Faster Than New $15 State Mandates

December 29, 2021
Of the 26 states — and Washington, D.C. — mandating minimum wage raises in 2022, California and New York are the only states that will require employers to pay at...

Olive Garden Parent Darden Says Digital Accounted For More Than Half Of Off-Premise Sales

September 24, 2020
Darden Restaurants reported on Thursday (Sept. 24) that over half of its combined off-premise sales at its three largest brands during the company’s fiscal Q1 were completely digital. The company,...