Olive Garden expanding across Canada
Recipe Unlimited, a major Canadian franchisor, has acquired Olive Garden's eight existing Western Canada locations. This deal also grants Recipe Unlimited exclusive rights to develop and operate all future Olive Garden restaurants across Canada.
According to Recipe CEO Frank Hennessey, the Olive Garden acquisition and development agreement are a 'perfect' fit for the company's strategy. He stated in a press release that he sees 'immense potential for growth' by expanding their casual dining presence with brands that appeal to Canadian consumers.
A key to Olive Garden's widespread success, in both Canada and the U.S., is its popular offering of unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks with any entree purchase. Diners ordering soup or salad individually also receive endless servings of these freshly-baked breadsticks.
Recipe Unlimited plans to reveal more expansion details as 'development plans take shape,' and National Post has reached out for further information. The eight existing Olive Garden locations, previously run by U.S.-based Darden Restaurants, include three in Alberta (two in Edmonton, one in Calgary), two in Winnipeg, and one each in Saskatoon, Regina, and Langley, B.C.
Last month, Darden CEO Rick Cardenas revealed that Recipe Unlimited has committed to opening 30 new Olive Garden locations in Canada over the next decade. This expansion is expected to include a return to Ontario, where Darden previously closed 11 Olive Garden restaurants in 1997, including seven in Toronto and two in Ottawa.
Olive Garden first opened its doors in Orlando, Florida, in 1982, initially as part of General Mills. The original restaurant still operates today. In 1995, General Mills spun off its restaurant brands, including Olive Garden and Red Lobster, into the newly formed Darden Restaurants. Olive Garden currently boasts over 900 U.S. locations, with more than a quarter concentrated in Texas, Florida, and California. Beyond the U.S. and soon Canada, the brand has a significant international presence, most notably in Mexico with 13 restaurants, and locations in Brazil, Panama, El Salvador, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.
Further expansion is planned for Costa Rica and the Philippines. Darden CEO Rick Cardenas recently announced agreements for 40 new Olive Garden restaurants in India and Spain. Annually, Olive Garden generates over $4 billion in sales, solidifying its position as the leading Italian casual dining restaurant in the United States.
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