Latest news with #Darden-owned
Business Insider
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
I visited Olive Garden for the first time in nearly 20 years. The meal wasn't perfect, but I can't wait to go back.
I visited an Olive Garden location for the first time in almost 20 years. I ordered four of the "create your own pasta" dishes, which came with soup or salad and breadsticks. Some of the meals were better than others, but overall, I was impressed by the dining experience. When I go to a chain restaurant, I know I can typically expect reasonable prices, decent food, a few crying babies, and a completely full stomach by the time I leave. On a recent trip to Olive Garden, my son and I experienced all of that and more. I hadn't been to the Darden-owned chain in nearly 20 years, so I was excited to see how the experience would stack up against other restaurant chains I've been to recently. Here's how the meal went. The chain is known for serving classic Italian-American fare. The Italian-American restaurant chain opened its first location in Orlando in 1982. It's owned by Darden — the same company that owns brands like Longhorn Steakhouse, Ruth's Chris, and Yard House. Today, there are nearly 900 Olive Garden restaurants around the world. However, my son and I visited a busy location in Long Island, New York. We started with the chain's unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks. Since I hadn't been to an Olive Garden location in nearly 20 years, my son and I decided to order four different "create your own" pasta dishes to get a feel for the chain's offerings. Each meal came with the chain's signature "never-ending" soup or salad and breadsticks. To try a bit of everything, we asked for two servings of salad and two soups — pasta e fagioli and chicken and gnocchi. I wouldn't call the Olive Garden breadsticks memorable, but they were definitely bountiful. We were able to have as many as we wanted, which would have been great if we didn't have so much food coming. Although we enjoyed the bread, I found other parts of the first course to be more memorable. The salad was a bit overdressed and heavy on lettuce, but the croutons were tasty. I was impressed by the soups. Both soups, however, were better than I expected them to be. The chicken and gnocchi soup was rich, creamy, and loaded with an excellent balance of meat, gnocchi, and spinach. I also thought the pasta e fagioli was savory and balanced without being overly salty. After sampling each, my son and I agreed that the latter was the better of the two. When our meals came, I wasn't a fan of the pasta with marinara sauce. I make a decent homemade marinara sauce from scratch using a can of tomato sauce, chopped onions and garlic, salt, sugar, and a basic blend of herbs. The process, not counting the slow simmer, takes less than 10 minutes and is anything but a challenge. So, getting a dull marinara sauce from an Italian-themed restaurant was disappointing. I thought the marinara ($14) tasted like it was poured right from a can, without any additional handiwork by a chef. It was salty and tasted like — well, tomato sauce. The addition of freshly-grated Parmesan, black pepper, and red-pepper flakes helped some, but frankly, I'd choose my own marinara sauce any day of the week. I didn't love the meat sauce, either. Olive Garden's meat sauce ($14) tasted just like the marinara, but included ground beef and Italian sausage. The sauce was a bit too thin for my linking (it wasn't watery, but it wasn't thick, either) and the beef was a bit on the tough side. Without the tomato sauce, I'm willing to bet the meat would have been quite dry. Unless the chain changed up its marinara recipe, I likely wouldn't order either of these dishes again. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the creamy mushroom sauce. I typically detest mushrooms, but in the name of honest journalism, I ate several of the noodles that came in the creamy mushroom sauce ($14). I was pleasantly surprised at how good the taste was, even though I didn't eat any of the sliced mushrooms in the bowl. My son did, however, and said the dish was superb. My tasting of the noodles revealed a rich, creamy, flavor you'd expect from a classic Alfredo sauce, and I can see how anyone who enjoys mushrooms would've found the dish a pleasure. We loved the five-cheese ziti al forno. The five-cheese ziti al forno was more expensive than the other "create your own" pastas we ordered, but it was well worth the $19.30 price tag. It was heavy on cheese but didn't feel overwhelming. Overall, the dish had a flavor that reminded me of vodka sauce, and I loved the fact that it was baked. The fresh parsley sprinkled atop the pasta also added a nice herbal profile. Of the four meals we tried, we took home the least leftovers from this one. Overall, I enjoyed my meal at Olive Garden If you go to an Olive Garden expecting a Michelin-starred experience, you'll leave disappointed. However, if you come expecting food that will be filling, satisfying, and priced fairly, I'll wager that more times than not, you'll be happy with your meal. I never had a strong opinion about Olive Garden, but after visiting for the first time in almost 20 years, I'd definitely consider it on my list of places to return to.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bahama Breeze restaurant closures: Map shows which locations are open and closed
Caribbean food chain Bahama Breeze abruptly closed 15 restaurants last week, or more than a third of the casual dining chain's total locations. The closures leave just 29 Bahama Breeze restaurants in operation around the U.S., with most of the locations in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Darden Restaurants spokesperson Kiara Buckner confirmed the closures to USA TODAY after reports of shuttering restaurants began to emerge on Thursday afternoon, May 15, across multiple states. "We continually evaluate the performance of all our restaurants," Buckner said. "Closing a restaurant is a difficult choice because it impacts our team members and guests. However, we believe this is the right decision because it will allow Bahama Breeze to focus on its highest performing restaurants and strengthen the brand's overall performance." Customers were informed of the move via signs posted on the restaurant's front doors, according to reports from USA TODAY Network papers in Gainesville and Naples, Florida. "This location is permanently closed. Please visit a nearby sister location," read the sign outside of the Gainesville location, nudging guests to visit nearby Darden-owned restaurants Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse. "We appreciate your business." The following map shows where Bahama Breeze locations have closed and where they remain open. Contributing: Kendall Little, Naples Daily News; Alan Festo, Gainesville Sun Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Which Bahama Breeze restaurants are open and closed? See locations map 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
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Popular National Restaurant Chain Closes 15 Locations With 'No Warning'
With so many major businesses filing for bankruptcy and shutting down stores, there's yet another name to add to the list. Popular Island Grille, Bahama Breeze, has abruptly closed 15 locations nationwide, USA Today reported. 🎬 🎬 Darden Restaurants spokesperson KiaraBuckner confirmed the closures to the outlet after reports began surfacing that locations across multiple states were suddenly closed. Customers were informed of the move by signs and notes posted on doors of locations as they attempted to dine in. "We continually evaluate the performance of all our restaurants," Buckner said, adding, "Closing a restaurant is a difficult choice because it impacts our team members and guests." The statement also stood by the decision, noting it will "allow Bahama Breeze to focus on its highest performing restaurants and strengthen the brand's overall performance." Closures span locations in Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York and Tennessee. Fans took to social media to voice their concerns and complaints, with one writing, "Why the hell is Bahama Breeze closed with no warning" as a second added, "am I the only one who's upset about Bahama Breeze? those empanadas were just different" and a third concluded, "the bahama breeze closest to me just abruptly closed. IM SO HURTTTTT" Others called it the "worst news" of the week, with another stating they "can't believe the shutdown," adding, "They had the best happy hour & the best pasta" and someone else expressing that they would miss the Bahamaritas the most. The sign at the Gainesville location reportedly read, "This location is permanently closed. Please visit a nearby sister location," suggesting the nearby Darden-owned restaurants Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse. "We appreciate your business." Darden Restaurants also owns Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, Chuy's, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Yard House, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, and Eddie V's. You can see the full list of closures here. 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
USA Today
20-05-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Bahama Breeze restaurant closures: Map shows which locations are open and closed
Bahama Breeze restaurant closures: Map shows which locations are open and closed Show Caption Hide Caption Step inside the newish Bahama Breeze at Coastland Center in Naples Step inside Bahama Breeze at Coastland Center in Naples. Caribbean food chain Bahama Breeze abruptly closed 15 restaurants last week, or more than a third of the casual dining chain's total locations. The closures leave just 29 Bahama Breeze restaurants in operation around the U.S., with most of the locations in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Darden Restaurants spokesperson Kiara Buckner confirmed the closures to USA TODAY after reports of shuttering restaurants began to emerge on Thursday afternoon, May 15, across multiple states. "We continually evaluate the performance of all our restaurants," Buckner said. "Closing a restaurant is a difficult choice because it impacts our team members and guests. However, we believe this is the right decision because it will allow Bahama Breeze to focus on its highest performing restaurants and strengthen the brand's overall performance." Customers were informed of the move via signs posted on the restaurant's front doors, according to reports from USA TODAY Network papers in Gainesville and Naples, Florida. "This location is permanently closed. Please visit a nearby sister location," read the sign outside of the Gainesville location, nudging guests to visit nearby Darden-owned restaurants Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse. "We appreciate your business." Where are Bahama Breeze locations open and closed? The following map shows where Bahama Breeze locations have closed and where they remain open. Contributing: Kendall Little, Naples Daily News; Alan Festo, Gainesville Sun Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
New York Post
19-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Bahama Breeze abruptly closes more than one-third of restaurants — including 4 in NJ and sole Long Island location
Bahama Breeze abruptly closed 15 locations, or more than one-third of its chain, this week as a sharp decline in consumer sentiment hammers fast-casual restaurants. The popular Caribbean-inspired dining chain shuttered restaurants across the country, including four in New Jersey and the sole location on Long Island. 3 Bahama Breeze abruptly closed 15 locations, or more than one-third of its portfolio, this week. Christopher Sadowski Advertisement 'We believe this is the right decision because it will allow Bahama Breeze to focus on its highest performing restaurants and strengthen the brand's overall performance,' owner Darden Restaurants told The Post in a statement. Closed locations: Lake Grove, NY Paramus, NJ Toms River, NJ Wayne, NJ Woodbridge, NJ Daytona Beach, FL Gainesville, FL Naples, FL Oakland Park, FL Sunrise, FL Schaumburg, IL Tyngsboro, MA Troy, MI Las Vegas, NV Memphis, TN 3 The popular Caribbean-inspired dining chain shuttered four locations in New Jersey and the sole restaurant on Long Island. Diana Biederman/Naples Daily News / USA TODAY NETWORK Advertisement The company is trying to hire as many impacted employees as possible at nearby Darden-owned restaurants, a spokesperson said. All other staffers will be paid severance, she added. Bahama Breeze has just 29 restaurants remaining after suffering a sales slump last year, down 7.7%, according to data from restaurant research firm Technomic. Several other casual dining chains have turned to restaurant closures to stay afloat as shoppers grow more hesitant. In March, Red Robin announced it's considering plans to close 70 locations after recording a $32.4 million loss from the 'review of underperforming restaurants.' Advertisement 3 Bahama Breeze has just 29 restaurants remaining. Instagram/bahamabreezeislandgrille TGI Fridays closed 12 locations across the US in just one month last October, including three in New York state. The chain also shuttered 35 restaurants across the pond. And in May, embattled seafood chain Red Lobster abruptly sealed the doors at 50 restaurants nationwide, including more than a dozen in New York and New Jersey. Consumer sentiment has only worsened, plunging in April to its second-lowest reading on record as Americans fear the effects of President Trump's trade war, according to a University of Michigan survey. Advertisement The outlook for inflation also grew more dire as year-ahead inflation expectations rose to 7.3% from 6.5% last month. Retail spending slowed in April after customers had rushed to front-load their shopping in March ahead of the tariffs, according to the Commerce Department.
