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Olive Garden

2017 Top 500: Italian

Italian heavyweight Olive Garden increased sales by 3%, helping to drive the menu category's 1.9% sales growth, to $8.5 billion.

Operations

This week’s 4 head-spinning moments: Say what?

Why's an operator cheering a possible upswing in food prices? And has Maine's governor hit on a new way of getting restaurant employees' lobbying help? Those are just some of the questions that were posed by surprising developments of the past week.

Darden buys another casual-dining growth brand

By Peter Romeo on Mar. 27, 2017

For $780 million in cash, the parent of Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse will add a growth chain with familiar management.

Operations

This week’s 5 head-spinning moments: Double turns

By Peter Romeo on Feb. 10, 2017

No sooner had one arresting development arisen than another quickly followed in its wake, making neck braces an acceptable fashion accessory.

Marketing

Restaurants’ top menu deals and discounts this winter

By Patricia Cobe on Jan. 27, 2017

Chains are doubling up on new dollar menus and value meals to spark sales during this slower time of year.

Operations

This week’s restaurant nightmares: New management lessons

By Peter Romeo on Jan. 11, 2017

Get ready for the spread of fake news about serving dog and some creative lying by opportunists.

3 cheers for a restaurant Festivus

By Peter Romeo on Dec. 24, 2016

For a day, we wanted to forget the industry's problems and focus on why restaurants deserve a holiday of their own. Here are three random reasons.

4 surprises behind Olive Garden’s big quarter

By Peter Romeo on Dec. 21, 2016

Executives attributed the gains to innovations on several fronts.

This week’s 4 head-spinning moments: No mercy

By Peter Romeo on Oct. 07, 2016

Can't the places struggling to stay afloat get some relief from regulators and the over-achievers?

Olive Garden snags $2.1M in 1-second offer

By Peter Romeo on Sep. 15, 2016

Offering 10 times as many unlimited-visit passes as last time did not delay a sellout.