A long-running joke is no more. Yes, Olive Garden is coming to Ames. What to know:
It might sound like a social media joke, but no, the news is real.
Olive Garden is coming to Ames.
'We're thrilled to bring Olive Garden to Ames and can't wait to serve guests never-ending amounts of soup, salad and breadsticks when they dine with us,' Brittany Baron, communications manager for Olive Garden, told the Ames Tribune in an email on March 27.
The popular Italian restaurant known for its endless breadsticks will be built on the northwest corner of Highway 30 and Dayton Avenue.
When Olive Garden is opening hasn't yet been finalized, but the company's intentions are clear: Ames will be Olive Garden's ninth Iowa location, the fourth in central Iowa.
Other Iowa locations include Ankeny, Des Moines, West Des Moines, Coralville, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Waterloo and Dubuque.
More: New renderings for CyTown revealed, including rooftop bar and The Cardinal hotel
For years, the idea of Ames getting an Olive Garden was so preposterous, it became a running joke on Facebook.
But now social media followers, such as members of the group Ames People, are going to need a new funny comeback.
More: Ames is the new home of the boys state basketball tournament. How will it impact the economy?
Ames getting an Olive Garden felt rather unlikely for many online users, motivating posters to respond to retail and commercial questions with the tongue-in-cheek answer 'Olive Garden.'
But now those tongues are going to be on the restaurant's famous all-you-can-eat breadsticks.
With more than $4.9 billion in annual sales, Olive Garden is the 'leading restaurant in the Italian dining segment' with nearly 900 restaurants and more than 99,000 employees, according to the Olive Garden's website.
The publicly held company (NYSE: DRI) is a division of Orlando, Florida-based Darden Restaurants, which owns and operates more than 1,900 restaurants that generate over $10.5 billion in annual sales.
More: Construction of the new indoor aquatic center in Ames is progressing. When will it open?
With more than 190,000 employees, Darden puts an emphasis on giving back to the community, according to the website.
'As part of this commitment, Olive Garden restaurants have donated more than 49 million pounds of food to local community food banks across the country,' the website reads.
Ronna Faaborg covers business and the arts for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rfaaborg@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Is Olive Garden coming to Ames? Yes, it's true. Find out where:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Wells Fargo adds more layoffs to previously announced Des Moines metro job cuts
Wells Fargo has amended previously announced layoffs to include 159 additional workers. The list of additional upcoming layoffs was filed Tuesday, May 13, on Iowa's Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, site. The scheduled layoffs, all at the company's Jordan Creek campus in West Des Moines, are: May 18 – 34 employees. June 1 – 14 employees. June 15 – 46 employees. June 29 – 41 employees. July 14 – 24 employees. The fourth-largest bank in the United States, with assets of $1.7 trillion, San Francisco-based Wells Fargo, once the largest employer in the Des Moines metro, has been paring back its workforce in recent years. Since April 2022, it has announced 81 separate layoffs, and amendments like Tuesday's, for a total of 1,206 workers. In addition to Jordan Creek, the layoffs have occurred at Wells Fargo's downtown Des Moines office locations and various branches throughout the metro There have been a total of 43 layoffs and amendments of additional employees announced at the Jordan Creek campus over the past three years, with the largest — 59 employees — on Oct. 25, 2022. The largest single layoff announcement by Wells Fargo during that period occurred on April 18, 2023, involving the elimination of 69 positions at the company's former office building at 800 Walnut St. in downtown Des Moines. There were 19 layoffs listed between that building and 801 Walnut Street, totaling 213 employees, during that period. Wells Fargo issued its standard company statement in connection with the latest layoffs, saying the company regularly reviews and adjusts staffing levels to align with market conditions and the needs of its businesses. Wells Fargo has consistently stated that it works to find opportunities for affected employees in other parts of the company and provides assistance such as severance pay and career counseling if jobs are not available. 'Des Moines is an important employment market for Wells Fargo, and we are committed to serving our customers and supporting the community,' the statement said. The company listed 45 job openings for Des Moines and West Des Moines on its website Wednesday. The latest Des Moines metro layoff notices did not indicate in which divisions Wells Fargo was reducing jobs, and the company has declined to specify when asked in past layoffs. The bank's home mortgage division, heavily concentrated in the Des Moines metro, has throttled back amid higher interest rates and lower demand. Wells Fargo's Des Moines metro employment peaked 14,500 in 2017, but it has since fallen to what the Greater Des Moines Partnership says is 'more than 11,000.' That's eclipsed by the 12,000-plus of the Hy-Vee supermarket chain, which has its headquarters in West Des Moines. Kevin Baskins covers jobs and the economy for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at kbaskins@ This story was updated to add a video. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Wells Fargo layoffs announced at Jordan Creek campus Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Wells Fargo closing in on sale of downtown Des Moines campus, city documents show
Des Moines City Council is slated to terminate incentive agreements with Wells Fargo for properties that were formerly part of its downtown campus as the bank nears the sale of the complex to an unnamed buyer. Wells Fargo listed the four buildings and a parking garage for sale in early 2023 as it moved most of its downtown employees to its West Des Moines campus at 800 S Jordan Creek Parkway. It said in December it had a buyer lined up. But according to a memo to the council, that sale fell through and another buyer now is involved. The scheduled Monday, June 9, vote is to rescind development agreements with Wells Fargo for buildings at 800 and 801 Walnut St. and the parking garage at 800 Mulberry St. The buyer also is set to acquire buildings at 207 Ninth St. and 206 Eighth St. The pending sale comes after repeated rounds of layoffs at the bank, once the largest employer in the Des Moines metro, have removed some 1,200 positions from its employment rolls since April 2023. As it prepared to consolidate most operations at Jordan Creek, San Francisco-based Wells Fargo in July 2023 agreed to forgo $3.7 million in incentive payments for its downtown buildings through November 2028 that required it to maintain at least 900 employees downtown. Collectively, the five properties were valued at $100.12 million and contain more than 850,000 square feet of floor space, according to a memo sent to council members. The sale is expected to close in July, according to the memo. Though the buyer remains unnamed, an architecture firm in May filed plans to convert the 11-story 206 Eighth St. into a hotel and the three-story 207 Ninth St. into a spa and office building. Wells Fargo had previously indicated it intends to lease back some space to continue limited operations downtown, including its legal department. Wells Fargo's metro employment peaked 14,500 in 2017. The Greater Des Moines Partnership says it is now 'more than 11,000.' That's eclipsed by the 12,000-plus of the Hy-Vee supermarket chain, which has its headquarters in West Des Moines. Philip Joens covers retail and real estate for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached at 515-284-8184 or pjoens@ Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@ Follow her on X at @vbarreda2. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines City Council clearing way for sale of Wells Fargo buildings Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Steph Curry's Thirty Ink Generates $174 Million In 2024, 'It's About Creating True Representation And Opportunity From A Grassroots Level'
Steph Curry's house-of-brands conglomerate Thirty Ink generated $173.5 million in revenue in 2024, the company told CNBC on Wednesday. Thirty Ink owns Unanimous Media, Gentleman's Cut bourbon, and Underrated Golf and Basketball. However, the highest percentage of the company's revenue comes from Curry's partnership with Under Armour (NYSE:UAA, UA)). There, the NBA star is president of Curry Brand, a basketball and golf footwear and apparel line. As a part of the 2023 deal with the sportswear company, Curry was given 8.8 million common shares, which were valued at $75 million at the time. Don't Miss: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: . The company said that while it incurs annual expenses for using Curry's name, image, and likeness, it doesn't rack up traditional bottom-line operational costs, which allows for its exorbitant earnings. Thirty Ink's secretary chair, Suresh Singh, told CNBC that every brand under the company's umbrella is profitable. "It's completely unique. One of the big things, I believe, is that there's a lot of athlete- and celebrity-driven partnerships and businesses that aren't necessarily focused on profit, aren't necessarily focused on mission. We do both," he said. "Obviously, from a national perspective, a lot of the narrative is trying to peel back programs and opportunities that are programs and resources that are allowing people to have just a fair shot and a fair chance," Curry said in an interview with CNBC. "Everything that we do and what I can control is about true equity. If you look at all of our businesses — our DEI writers for Unanimous, or even looking at something like the Underrated brand — it's about creating true representation and opportunity from a grassroots level." Trending: Wall Street's Missing This AI Surgical Tech — You Don't Have To. "All that stuff is important to me. I want to actually walk the walk and live it. And hopefully that's an example for how our country should," he told CNBC. Thirty Ink's mission is to "elevate the under" according to its website, a goal that manifests differently for every brand. Unanimous Media co-founder and co-CEO Eric Peyton told CNBC that it looks like hiring diverse writers to create projects about family, faith and sports. "[Curry's] vision is to inspire through media," he said. It's really a feeling when you watch our projects, hopefully you're a little bit happier, you know, maybe it makes you feel a little bit better." Unanimous Media is currently four years into a first-look deal with Comcast's (NASDAQ:CMCSA) NBC Universal unit. Next year, it will release its first full-length feature film, "GOAT," with Sony Pictures Animation. With Gentlemen's Cut and Underrated Golf and Basketball, that mission expresses itself as a commitment to DEI. Gentlemen's Cut was in talks with a buyer who wanted to feature Black-owned businesses, in 2024. The Trump administration's crackdown on DEI squashed the deal, but it would have valued the business between $120 million and $200 million, a source told CNBC. Underrated Golf, according to the company's website, is specifically designed to give Black children an opportunity to participate in a sport that hasn't historically catered to them. Read Next: Invest where it hurts — and help millions heal:. Here's what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy. Image: Shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? COMCAST (CMCSA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Steph Curry's Thirty Ink Generates $174 Million In 2024, 'It's About Creating True Representation And Opportunity From A Grassroots Level' originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
