Latest news with #JaimeBunker
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Olive Garden wants you to cool down with its innovative summer offering
Cheesy noodles, saucy noodles, chicken and noodles — they're all staples at Olive Garden stores. Now, the Italian-American pasta chain is hoping you'll spring for a very different kind: a pool noodle. On Monday, the company dropped a limited-edition summer merch line featuring three pool floats shaped like some of its best-selling pasta dishes. They're called the floatin' fettuccine, takin' it easy tortelloni, and relaxin' rigatoni. The $40 floats go on sale to starting June 30 at 2pm ET on Olive Garden's website. But fans who sign up for the brand's free eClub loyalty program can snag early access beginning June 26 at 10am. 'Olive Garden has always been known for going big — big portions, big value, and never-ending first courses,' Jaime Bunker, the senior vice president for the brand, said in a statement emailed to 'This summer, we're bringing that same spirit of abundance to the pool.' The fettuccine-inspired float is flat, letting pool-goers sprawl out across it — like the chicken does on the entrée. Meanwhile, the circular tortelloni and rigatoni floats are designed so you can nestle inside, like a scoop of sauce of cheese. Any pool float purchase includes shipping and a cheeky bonus 'first course' — customers can choose between breadstick-themed bucket hats, soup-inspired totes, and lettuce-decorated floating drink holders. 'I don't know if I'll ever have a pool,' one customer commented on the company's Facebook page, 'but the intense feeling of need I have for the tortellini float cannot be put into words!' Olive Garden is not the first food chain to memorialize its iconic products with a pool-based line. Pop-Tart, Rice Krispie, Eggo, and Cheez-It all released pool toys that look like their snacks products. They're available at Target and Walmart locations for $20. In 2021, Panera launched a lineup of swim trunks and one-piece bathing suits, inspired by its food lineup. One green Panera-inspired swimsuit just said 'SOUP' in block lettering. Olive Garden's recent news Founded in Orlando, Florida in 1982, Olive Garden has grown steadily to be a favorite for family meals. In the restaurant industry, the chain held the top spot in US revenue since 2018. That changed in April. A suddenly resurgent Texas Roadhouse, buoyed by an impressive social media campaign and low menu prices, snatched the revenue crown from the pasta brand for the first time in seven years. Darden, Olive Garden's owner, has rolled out a series of programs to re-energize its sales. Last year, it partnered with DoorDash and UberEats to provide online deliveries to nearby guests. The brand ardently avoided the partnership for years. While Olive Garden still remains profitable, some of its sister restaurants have run into troubles. Bahama Breeze, one of the other Darden Restaurant chains, closed a third of its stores in mid-May.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Olive Garden Dives Into Summer With Limited-Edition Launch
If you've ever wanted to dive headfirst into a bowl of pasta from Olive Garden, you're in luck- kind of. The popular Italian restaurant chain has a new limited-edition launch that lets you channel that desire without getting covered in sauce. Beginning Monday, June 30, at 2 p.m. ET, Olive Garden fans will be able to purchase a limited-edition line of pasta-shaped pool floats designed to mimic some of the chain's most iconic dishes from From the floatin' fettuccine to the takin' it easy tortellini, Olive Garden fans can turn a swimming pool into a giant bowl of their favorite pasta, down to the relaxin' rigatoni. And in a nod to Olive Garden's soup, salad, and breadsticks, each $40 pool noodle comes with a complimentary "first course" summer item. Customers will get either a breadsticks bucket hat, a "soup-er summer vibes" tote bag, or a "lettuce chill" floating drink holder. "Olive Garden has always been known for going big - big portions, big value, and never-ending first courses," said Jaime Bunker, Senior Vice President of Marketing, in a statement shared with Parade. "This summer, we're bringing that same spirit of abundance to the pool. Our pasta-inspired floats are a larger-than-life way to celebrate the dishes our guests love, and just like in our restaurants, every order starts with a first course." Can't wait until June 30? No worries, as a limited amount will be available for Olive Garden's eClub members starting Thursday, June 26 at 10 a.m. ET. Next: It's Now Easier to Get Olive Garden Breadsticks Delivered to Your House-Find Out How Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
