I Went to Olive Garden - Yeah, it was Good.

For some bizarre reason, I have a strong affinity for chain restaurants. If provided with the chance to eat at one of the finest, fancy-shmanciest restaurants in the USA, or eating at Chili’s, it is completely possible that I would chose Chili’s.

Capitol Grille Dining Area

I don’t really know why. I mean, it isn’t as though I haven’t had the pleasure of eating some of the best dishes served at some of the more famous restaurants across the country. For example, I remember one meal I shared with my family at the Capitol Grille Restaurant in Washington D.C. My dad and I split the fried calamari, which was perfectly crunchy and not at all greasy. The house made dipping sauce had a spicy kick that lingered in the mouth like a warm blanket of deliciocity. For my main meal, I had the lobster bisque and a fillet. The meat melted in my mouth and I can almost taste it right now thinking about it. The meal was exquisite and I will forever remember it.

But ever since I can remember, I have always leaned towards the chain restaurants. But what is a chain restaurant? 

Wikipedia says...

A restaurant chain is a set of related restaurants with the same name in many different locations that are either under shared corporate ownership, or franchising agreements. Typically, the restaurants within a chain are built to a standard format and offer a standard menu. Fast food restaurants are the most common, but sit-down restaurant chains (such as TimberLodge Steakhouse, T.G.I. Friday's, Ruby Tuesday, and Olive Garden) also exist. Restaurant chains are often found near shopping malls and tourist areas.

Continuing on my research, I stumbled on an article from The National Restaurant News (NRN). They reported a consumer survey which ranked the top 15 Casual Dining Restaurants. Quick! Can you guess what chains are at the top? Here they are:

15. IHop

14. Chili’s

13. Applebee’s Neighbhorhood Bar & Grille

12. Golden Corral

11. T.G.I. Friday’s

10. Cracker Barrel

9. Outback Steakhouse

8. Longhorn Steakhouse

7. P.F. Chang’s China Bistro

6. Red Lobster

5. Ruby Tuesday

4. Olive Garden

3. Red Robin

2. Texas Roadhouse

1. Cheesecake Factory

The NRN also reported that as consumers plan to eat out more, the way to entice guests is to take care of the essential customer service elements, Market Force said. Of the consumers polled in the latest survey, 52 percent said they eat at casual- or family-dining restaurants just to have time with family and friends, and 37 percent cited celebrating special occasions as a reason to visit.

Convenience also plays into dining decisions, as 41 percent of respondents said they eat at casual and family chains when they are too tired to cook, and 23 percent said they go when they’re pressed for time. But 38 percent said a key reason for dining out is because they want a great-tasting meal, meaning food quality can’t be ignored, Market Force said.

Now, I could have predicted most of those, but I never really would have thought Cheesecake Factory would be number one! I LOVE THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY! But that’s neither here nor there, nor is it the point of this post. 

So when planning our lovely little Saturday, my boyfriend offered to take me out on a date. Sounded good to me! Debating on where to go, one of those enticing Olive Garden commercials came on TV. We decided that’s where we’d go. He couldn’t believe I’d  never been to an Olive Garden, especially since I am such an avid “chain restaurant” fan. 

Olive Garden is an American restaurant chain specializing in Italian-American cuisine. It is a subsidiary of Darden Restaurants, Inc., which is headquartered in an unincorporated area in Orange County, Florida, near Orlando. Olive Garden operates more than 730 locations globally. A LOT.

The History of Olive Garden:

 

The first Olive Garden was opened by General Mills on December 13, 1982, in Orlando. By 1989, General Mills had opened 145 restaurants, making it one of the fastest-growing units in the company's restaurant holdings. While not a critical success, it was popular, and its per-store sales soon matched sister company Red Lobster. The company eventually became the largest chain of Italian-themed full-service restaurants in the US.

General Mills spun off its restaurant holdings as Darden Restaurants, a stand-alone company, in 1995. Olive Garden is Darden's most value oriented chain with an average 2009 check per person of $15.00 (USD) versus over $90 (USD) at its sibling Capital Grille.

As of 2 February 2011, the company operates over 730 restaurants globally Most Canadian restaurants have been closed except for a few in Winnipeg, Manitoba; Calgary, Alberta; Edmonton, Alberta; and Langley, British Columbia.

Newer restaurants are styled after a farmhouse in the town of Castellina in Chianti, Tuscany, on the grounds of the Rocca delle Macie winery.  The farmhouse is home to the Riserva di Fizzano restaurant adjoining the company's Culinary Institute of Tuscany which was founded in 1999.

As part of a February 2011 Darden analyst conference, the parent group announced it intended to add more than 200 Olive Garden locations in the following few years. The announcement came after a previous announcement that the company would be expanding into potential new international markets for the chain, including the Middle East and Asia, due to the maturity of the North American market. The company also announced it would begin licensing franchising partnerships, a new direction for the chain and its parent which had traditionally relied on expansion via company owned locations exclusively.

Parent company Darden also announced it was going to begin co-locating Olive Garden and sibling chain Red Lobster locations. The new format stores are designed for smaller market locations and will have separate entrances and dining areas but operate a single kitchen and support areas. The dining areas of the new format will be half the standard area found in more traditional Darden chains, but the actual building will be larger than stand alone operations of the chain. Menus will also remain separate, with customers only able to order from the location they are seated in.

My Olive Garden experience today was great. I had perfect company, and guess what they had  on the menu? Only my favorite meal ever: Capellini di Mare!

What is Capellini di Mare? Oh, only the greatest pasta dish on the planet: shrimp, clams and mussels sautéed in white wine, garlic and a marinara sauce, served over capellini (ery thin variety of Italian pasta) and topped with fresh basil. Of course I ordered that. My boyfriend ordered the custom pizza option, with pepperoni and black olives.

So for the verdict: how did everything taste? Oh boy it was good. I was a bit sad that my pasta was a touch over cooked and the sauce was a bit thicker than I typically enjoy for a marinara. His pizza looked amazing, and he ate the whole 10”. Mr. Picky-eater loved it so I take that as a good pizza taste test. Outside of my two complaints, the meal was excellent. I loved the dressing that came with our salad bowl, and the bread sticks were very pizza-crusty. 

But I think my favorite part of The Olive Garden was the same thing that I love about the whole concept of chain restaurants. There is a sense of comfort and familiarity that makes me feel at home and relaxed. The lack of pretentiousness and the overwhelming sense of comfort is what hooks me every time, and keeps me coming back (and back, and back, and back).

Are you a chain restaurant lover? Or are you one who shuns the casual dining atmosphere in favor of the elite?  What do you love about popular chain restaurants? Which is your favorite? 

(Sources: wikipedia, nrn.com, olivegarden.com)