Olive Garden brings back popular menu items from years ago
Olive Garden has revived two favorite dishes after they disappeared from menus years ago.
The beloved Italian chain, which has 900 locations, has reintroduced Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo and Stuffed Chicken Marsala after years of customer pleas.
Both items were removed during the pandemic when menus were simplified, leaving fans devastated.
Customers even came together to sign a public petition to force the chain to bring back its Steak Gorgonzola.
‘I feel like I’ve lost a part of myself, knowing I’ll never be able to taste its deliciousness again. When they told me they were no longer serving the Steak Gorgonzola, it broke my heart!’ read the petition.
Such a fate will no longer await those fans, as Olive Garden announced that the old dishes will be available again in restaurants across the country starting this week.
They’re also making a comeback with “higher quality ingredients,” Rick Cardenas, CEO of Olive Garden’s parent company Darden, said in September.
The Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo features six ounces of grilled sirloin tips with creamy fettuccine alfredo, blue cheese and spinach, topped with sun-dried tomatoes and a balsamic drizzle.
Olive Garden is bringing back two fan-favorite menu items in an effort to please its customers
The Stuffed Chicken Marsala offers a grilled chicken fillet stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes and Italian cheese, served with a creamy masala sauce and mashed potatoes.
Both options come with endless breadsticks and unlimited soup or salad.
In addition to bringing back fan-favorite dishes, Olive Garden is also making other efforts to win back customers amid sluggish sales.
At the beginning of this year, the chain finally gave in and will soon offer its food through delivery services such as Uber Eats and DoorDash.
The chain had pushed back against competition in using delivery services, claiming no third party would come between the brand and its guests.
Now bosses have launched a two-year partnership with Uber, which will be rolled out to all 900 stores by May 2025.
Olive Garden angered its customers by raising prices earlier this summer despite lackluster sales.
Executives announced in June that prices would rise 2.5 to 3 percent not just at Olive Garden, but across Darden’s vast restaurant portfolio.
The Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo returns with higher quality ingredients
Stuffed Chicken Marsala will soon be back on the menu at Olive Garden
CEO Rick Cardenas also said the company would not make deals to attract inflation-weary customers, as rivals had done.
He pointed to full-service rivals such as Chili’s, which has an appetizer, entree and drink deal for $11, and Applebee’s, which has two deals for $20.
Fast food chains have all rolled out deals too. The likes of McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s have a $5 meal deal that includes a burger, nuggets, fries and a drink.