Whether it is a craving for those iconic breadsticks or a hunger for a heaping serving of the creamy, rich Alfredo sauce, Olive Garden is always a popular choice. While the local restaurant welcomes guests with warm hospitality, sometimes the comforts of eating at home hold great appeal. With new nationwide delivery options, that order oven baked pastas can arrive when and where you want them.
Food delivery is a necessity for most restaurant brands, but that costumer convenience has a down side. Anyone who has had pizza toppings shift to just one slice or French fries become a soggy mess, understands that not all delivery methods are created equal. Since the chefs cannot control, or easily fix, how that food delivery arrives, it requires a lot of preparation before that first delivery order is accepted.
Olive Garden has offered To-Go options. Who hasn’t taken advantage of getting that secondary meal after enjoying that Sunday night dinner. The value added aspect to that food is more than just the dollars spent. In many ways, that offer fosters loyalty and keeps that craveable food front of mind.
By expanding into Olive Garden Delivery, the Darden restaurant brand did not blindly switch a switch on an app. It took careful measures to ensure that the food leaving the kitchen would taste as good on the home table as it does in the restaurant.
First, delivery only is available within an 8-mile radius of a restaurant. This designation is not the “30 minutes or less” retro commercial scenario. Instead, the limited destination area ensures that the food quality is maintained. This concept is essential for the restaurant brand to keep its standards high.
Second, the orders are placed exclusive via the Olive Garden website and delivered via Uber. To clarify, this is not Uber Eats or other delivery platform. The service is available through Uber Direct.
Explaining what makes the Olive Garden concept different, Rick Cardenas, Darden President and CEO said, "guests have been asking us for home delivery options and they continue to show they are willing to pay for the convenience. As we continued to evaluate delivery, it was important for us to find a way to address this guest need state without disrupting the team member or guest experience and without compromising our competitive advantages and simple operating model. Uber is a partner we believe shares that vision and can meet our expectations. Their investment in a custom-integration, commitment to Olive Garden's first-party delivery growth, and efficiency and speed at a national scale, made this exclusive partnership a clear choice."
Several factors are key in this statement. The delivery expansion supplements the in-restaurant experience and should not take away from it. If guests do not have a memorable dining experience within the restaurant, delivery orders are a moot point. Guest satisfaction always needs to be the priority.
Additionally, team members do not want to feel overly burdened with additional tasks. Maintaining a loyal restaurant staff ensures that quality standards are always met. This concept is not a ghost kitchen. it is an expansion, but not one that burdens the regular flow of business. Again, each aspect ensures the in-person experience comes first.
Overall, this decision to expand into its own delivery service seems smart for Olive Garden. It will be interesting to see if or when other Darden restaurant brands follow Olive Garden’s lead. If restaurant brands can find a way to keep guests engaged while still offering the highest quality with delivery, it could have a large impact on the restaurant category.
According to Darden, Olive Garden will offer its promotional specials via delivery, but guests should not be expect the never ending pasta bowl to be included. Some promotions do not lend themselves to at-home scenario. Still, no one is expects the restaurant to skimp on the breadsticks.
Whether it a Friday night dinner, lunch for the office or a meal to celebrate the end of baseball season, Olive Garden Delivery is ready to fulfill that food order. Time to curl up on the couch, stream that favorite show, and enjoy a second helping of Toasted Ravioli.