Olive Garden is rolling out delivery service for orders exceeding $125 from all of its U.S. and Canadian restaurants starting today.
Customers will be charged a 15 percent delivery fee on orders up to $500 and a 5 percent charge on every dollar exceeding that amount. The food is delivered hot. Extra fees are charged for chafing dishes, racks and heating fuel.
The catering orders have to be placed via phone to an individual unit. The chain says that a staffer at the other end, a "Delivery Specialist," can help the customer pick the right meal, based on needs.
The meals are delivered by the delivery specialists, who use their own cars. Unlike Uber Eats drivers, the delivery specialists bring the food to the customer's door.
To ease the selection process, the menu will include a number of mix-and-match combinations. Beverages can also be delivered as part of the catering order.
Included in each order are utensils, table covers, napkins, grated cheese and after-meal mints.
Big catered orders are already offered by Olive Garden, but solely as pickups.
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