Olive Garden hopes new logo and menu will win back customers

[The Straight Story]

Olive Garden hopes new logo and menu will win back customers

NEW YORK — Olive Garden has a plan to win back customers: a new logo and yet more menu changes.

In a call with analysts on Monday, executives at Darden Restaurants Inc. expressed confidence they could bring about a "brand renaissance" at the Italian chain with a new look and updated menu that presented food with "flair and sophistication." The changes include more small dishes and the option to mix and match pastas and sauces.

Darden executives also continued to make the case for why it made sense to hold onto Olive Garden and spin off or sell only Red Lobster, rather than keeping the two struggling chains together and separating them from the company's more promising specialty restaurant unit, which includes Capital Grille and Yard House.

"We certainly recognize that industry dynamics have changed considerably over past two years," CEO Clarence Otis said during the call, acknowledging the need to make drastic changes.

http://www.wcpo.com/lifestyle/food/olive-garden-hopes-new-logo-and-menu-will-win-back-customers?dsfdsg

[gollygee]

1. I would suggest a new menu

and new recipes with new ingredients.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

12. lol. but other than that they are fine.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

87. And we're OFF!!!!

I think this thread has the legs to beat the previous record...

[Scuba]

2. I'd be more inclined to eat there if they paid their staff a living wage and gave them sick days.

[Aerows]

51. No kidding

Maybe they can disassociate with Darden restaurants. I won't eat there, Long Horn or at Red Lobster anymore, either.

[liberal N proud]

3. It's going to take more than that for me

Last time I was there, they were so overbearing and at the table asking us if we were sure we didn't want something else that we couldn't have a conversation.

My wife was so made, the manager finally came and comp'ed the meal. But it was like that before too. I didn't leave anything there so I am not in a hurry to go back.

[louis-t]

20. Ahh, I see they've instituted 'up selling'.

"You SURE YOU DON'T WANT SOME PIE WITH YER ICE CREAM WITH YER TIRAMISU WITH YER...."

[joeglow3]

91. And probably cost the poor server good money for trying to offer you good service

We bitch about them not making enough, bitch because they are not offering us enough service and filling our drinks enough, bitch that they are at our table TOO much, etc. Thank fucking God I do not work in that thank-less profession where you get fucked from both ends (management and customers) no matter what you do.

[barnabas63]

4. Their food sucks...

Everything tastes the same. It doesn't matter what you order, you get the same bland sauce and (no) spices. Blech.

[Logical]

7. Lol, was waiting for the typical DU response about ANY restaurant? You win! nt

[barnabas63]

25. No, not all restaurants are like that...

My opinion is unique and worthy!

[Ed Suspicious]

37. It's idiotic isn't it. The "I wouldn't eat there if they paid me." replies are obnoxious and not

helpful. Food snobs suck.

[barnabas63]

47. Still sucks....

sorry if that rubs you the wrong way!

[Niceguy1]

52. so true

If u go by du the USA is a land of bland restaurants that serve up cooked cardboard served by starving indentured servants lol

[Logical]

53. And all of it is "crap" or "low grade dog food". :-) nt

[Niceguy1]

59. the only restaurant approval that matters to me

Is what my girlfriend thinks....and she happens to like olive garden so it is okay with me lol

[Logical]

63. Smart man :-) nt

[cloudbase]

62. As we used to say back in my seagoing days, when asked "How's the food?"

It'll make a turd.

[Logical]

64. Good one! n-t

[Ikonoklast]

67. That's because it's all food service products now, instead of anything actually made on premises.

My two sons were both trainers for OG before they decided to cut costs and went the food service route. They were the guys that were sent to new stores to train kitchen staff on the recipes and food preparation and kitchen procedure.

Things were different then, they actually made the dishes in the kitchen.

They left right around the time when OG went from making their own sauces and soups to opening a box with a bag in in and dumping into a saucepot.

My youngest said that they went from getting a couple of pallets of food service delivered every week to an entire truckload.

And soon after that OG started losing market share, customers noticed the food was lower quality stuff and took their money elsewhere.

[Excelsyor]

5. I like it

Makes me hungry.

[L0oniX]

6. They got rid of the artichoke dip ...fuck them!

[Logical]

8. Makes me want to eat there tonight! Soup, salad and bread sticks! nt

[TheBlackAdder]

13. Lol, Comment reminds me of those defending Chick-Fil-A during the H8 protests. nt

[Logical]

15. Yes, because Olive Garden hates gays! You just.....

Making shit up?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_organizations_that_support_same-sex_marriage_in_the_United_States

[TheBlackAdder]

17. For a logical person, critical thought is missing.

I said it reminds me of someone who supported CFA during the protests.

Nothing about Olive Garden and H8.

You FAIL pal!

[Logical]

19. You make no sense chum! Reply again and try harder! New thread! nt

[TheBlackAdder]

21. Perhaps because I know your game.

[Logical]

22. Yes, I bet your analysis is flawless! Genius I tell ya, genius! nt

[TheBlackAdder]

26. The level of snark is one such gaming tool.

[Logical]

35. Like your initial "lol"? :-)

[TheBlackAdder]

39. I modeled it after your prior 'Lol' post, even using the same mixed caps-mode letters you used. nt

[TheBlackAdder]

40. I should stop feeding your posts. It's giving you that much needed attention.

[Packerowner740]

76. For what it's worth

I was able to follow what you were saying. His/her response was just, well, illogical.

[AlinPA]

16. They should bake their bread sticks a while longer.

[narnian60]

65. And put more garlic on them.

[AlinPA]

71. And some olive oil, too.

[Lizzie Poppet]

9. Olive Garden thread! Woo hoo...it's been a while!

[Logical]

10. Someone on the DU hates every restaurant! :-) nt

[TheBlackAdder]

14. No, just the ones protesting livable wages and healthcare, while redistributing tips.

I used to take the family to the local ones at least once per month.

I haven't set foot in them since Darden took the Papa John's route (another place I no londer order from).

Both Olive Garden and Red Lobster can fade into obscurity.

[Logical]

24. We have a favorite waitress there, always use her and tip 25%, you think...

She is better off if we stop going?

You suggest she quit?

[TheBlackAdder]

30. And you think that 25% goes to her... that's the laugh.

She'd be no worse than a McDonalds employee leaving for another job.

If she choses to stay, that's on her. She's no different than the millions of other hard-working food industry folks who are just as nice and deserving. Go elsewhere and you'll meet someone else who is exactly like her.

I don't subsidize employers who do not properly take care of their employees.

===

You can continue to go there and fund the same company that runs Red Lobster, that is if you don't believe the articles on how they operate and why that restaurant is floundering. besides picking a restricted business model in a competitive market.

[Logical]

36. I will show her your post and get her opinion! nt

[TheBlackAdder]

38. Good. It might spur her to look for a better gig. nt

[Logical]

41. Yes, because jobs are just waiting for her, you have any suggestions I can....

Give her?
She is a handful I imagine. She will probably call you an arrogant ass before telling you to fuck off.
But I will let you know.

[TheBlackAdder]

43. You're "Logical." You can figure that out. Also, she should reflect on what was said.

I'm sure you'll frame it in the proper context to get your desired results, regardless of how it impacts her.

Instead of being constructuve to her, you would submit that to her to cause her more stress.

That seems "logical." Not proper, but up to your standards.

[Logical]

44. I will let her read your posts directly, she needs to see the attitude....

You seem to have about her and her other co workers who apparently are too stupid to know how terrible their job decisions are.

And your "you can figure it out" means you have no fucking idea. I get it!

[TheBlackAdder]

45. Don't distort what I've written. I've made no such statement about intellect.

Sometimes people take a job and become complacent in it. Perhaps she will look elsewhere.

I do not object to her, just the organization she is associated with. It is you who are trying to make it personal.


===


You drop the F-Bomb quite a bit, especially when challenged. Then you portray your friend as dropping it too.

[Packerowner740]

78. I've got a couple friends that work for two different OGs

They make enough to pay the bills, not much more.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

85. Oh, the Olive Garden issues long predated that...

I think it started with the fact that "Hospitaliano" isn't even a friggin' word in Italian.

They say "Hospitaliano"

We say "Hospitallahassee"

[LanternWaste]

23. It would appear (whether the appearance is sincere or not) that the concomitant is true...

It would appear (regardless of whether the appearance is sincere or not) that the concomitant is also true...

[Logical]

34. Good point! nt

[Eleanors38]

55. Hhhheh, heh-heh. You said woo.

[Doremus]

11. Their new small plates are good.

The hummus is pretty good. Lots of garlic, not what I'm used to in hummus, but delicious. That and the salad makes a nice meal.

Now I'm hungry, lol.

[jmowreader]

18. Food with more flavor might help

They tell me there are going to be tables reserved for breastfeeding mothers and people who bring their pit bulls, too.

[Warren DeMontague]

27. I think they should do an ad campaign w/lovely young people frolicking on the beach in bathing suits

.....what?

[jberryhill]

28. In zero gravity

[Warren DeMontague]

31. Does the Olive Garden serve popcorn?

They should.

[Eleanors38]

56. Hhhheh, heh-heh. You said bathing suits.

[Warren DeMontague]

61. Perfect for swimming

In Lake Titicaca

[Dr. Strange]

29. Their chicken is excellent.

They use free-range corn flakes on it.

[kentuck]

42. Salad and breadsticks are good.

So are their Alfredo noodles with scallops. Pretty good food when I have tried it.

[Auggie]

32. Darden is a publicly-traded company beholden to stockholders first and foremost ...

and because of that, I'm not eating in any of their restaurants. Ever.

[virgogal]

54. I'm not an Olive Garden fan but I don't understand your post.

Are you saying that nothing in your life is beholden to a publicly traded company?

I find that hard to believe.

[Auggie]

60. Only fast food chains like Darden

[hootinholler]

33. Does it feature a friendly

Breast feeding pit bull?

[Moliere]

46. Their customer is the middle class

And the middle class is gone, so it's only a matter of time before they go too

[customerserviceguy]

48. Different colored lipstick

on the same old pig. Don't get me wrong, in some places in the USA (hell, perhaps most) this is the best Italian-themed food you are likely to be able to find easily. However, if you're lucky enough to have a mom-and-pop Italian restaurant somewhere in your vicinity, you owe it to yourself to patronize that establishment, before it disappears from your town. The mass-market chains are taking over, and they've replaced a lot of quality with bland formulaic crap.

Where I live, we sneer at OG, because we have so very many other better choices.

[Jake Stern]

49. Not a food snob BUT

lived in New Jersey for several year so I was spoiled on real Italian food. Olive Garden isn't it.

[Eleanors38]

57. Like Taco Bell here in Texas.

[JCMach1]

73. Ironically, Taco Bell was actually better in TX where there

was a large Mexican population...

Of course, that was the 1990's and the days of Che Chiahuahua

[Eleanors38]

81. Within 4 blks on a street in South Austin I can eat at

four Mexican restaurants, all indies. Shredded pork stewed in green chilis in a 3-egg omelet, topped with pica de gallo and avocado; 2 varieties of Menudo; migas cooked with cheese, onions and zuchinni squash. And to break the monotony, an inexpensive & superb vegetarian restaurant, Vietnamese restaurant, and 3 independent coffee houses. Who needs chains?

[Packerowner740]

80. Right?

My kids like to eat there cuz it's cheap, being right on the border I'd rather go eat real Mexican food, so many choices. Too bad it's so hi in carbs.

[Eleanors38]

82. I'd like to see an all-you-can-stand Mexican buffet.

The last one I knew of was Pancho's, but it collapsed, and wasn't very good. But cheap!

Most of the places I hit are good, plentiful and cheap. Restaurants like these are as vital a part of the Austin "scene" as the music & arts.

[Packerowner740]

94. You remember Panchos?

Run up the flag when you are ready for more food. Too bad it was so bad.

[NYC Liberal]

92. Have a friend from Italy (Italian all the way) who

LOVES Olive Garden. We go every time she visits the States. She's well-off enough that she isn't just eating crap back home either. Go figure.

[alarimer]

50. I avoid chain restaurants whenever I can.

Sure, in an airport you might not have much choice, but otherwise, no.

Why on earth would you eat at a bland chain restaurant in a place with many other alternatives?

We have become too homogenized.

[MadrasT]

96. Well...

I have Aspergers and predictable food is a comfort to me.

I am not a fan of variety or "new" anything.

I eat the same lunch and the same dinner 5 or 6 days a week for months on end until I get so sick of it, I pick something different... and then I eat that 5 or 6 days a week for the next few months.

I go to the same handful of (non-chain) restaurants over and over when I am home... but when I have to travel, sometimes a chain restaurant is quite a comfort to me.

[tularetom]

58. Guaranteed to bring out the Olive Garden snobs

I would definitely eat there if they paid me.

It doesn't suck. The food ain't great but the portions are ample.

[Whisp]

66. yeh, I thought OG was okay.

I don't understand all this silly fighting over it, but then I haven't paid attention much.

I really liked their salads, crispy and vinegary and we'd fight over the jalapenas if there weren't enough for each of us. And some of their soups were pretty darn good.

[Warren DeMontague]

69. So you'd say that you are an OG OG?

Word.

[ReverendDeuce]

89. That salad is made under threat of lash by kidnapped rescue poodles!!!

I don't get it either. The Olive Garden hate around here has been going on for... well, as many years as I can think of. I've been here since 2002 or so and seen this crop up every time. If you want to start a food fight, post something positive about Olive Garden.

[moriah]

74. Okay, I'll admit it. I could eat their soup, salad, and breadstick lunches. Often.

Other chain restaurants are better insofar as their lasagna or other pasta dishes, for sure. However, for a lunch that I knew I could eat in J. Random Town that wouldn't break the bank and while maybe having way too much salt, still being healthier than McDs.... when I was working on the road I ate it often.

[Codeine]

68. Put some fucking garlic in your food for a start. And get rid of those god-awful breadsticks.

I have no issue with mass-production restaurant food -- it serves a purpose and has a place. But there is no need for the aggressively-bland offerings that you find on OG's menu.

That said, the minestrone is pretty damned tasty.

[SomethingFishy]

97. I find they are not all the same...

There is one near me that is actually pretty decent... When I visited my mom and we went to the one near her it was awful.

[muntrv]

70. Still won't go there. There is a local Italian restaurant near my house that's better than OG.

[JCMach1]

72. How they made a name for themselves in the late 1980's early 1990's was the

free salad (bottomless) and the giant olives...

Hello... it has sucked ever since...

Maybe they should put the OLIVES back in Olive Garden.

[Packerowner740]

75. With all of the healthy eating, low carb diets I just don't see people going back

All those pastas and sauces they talk about aren't good for you. I am a type one diabetic and stay away from carbs as much as I can. Keeps me much healthier.

[Kelvin Mace]

77. See, this was Hitler's mistake

If only he had come up with a new logo to replace the swastika, he would have won the war in Europe.

(Yes, I just Godwined the thread).

[Sarah Ibarruri]

79. The owners of Olive Garden are Darden, Inc.

They own: Olive Garden, Red Lobster, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Yard House, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, Eddie V's and Wildfish Seafood Grille.

I don't mind Olive Garden, but their restaurants need to look prettier, and I wish they served more sauce. One time I went to Olive Garden and the pasta had hardly any sauce at all.

[liberal_at_heart]

83. I love their fettuccine alfredo. My husband and I go there often.

[ReverendDeuce]

84. Eff the haters... Olive Garden is delicious!

Italian or "Italian-style", I care not. The breadsticks and salad alone are worth the trip.

[Capt. Obvious]

88. Did you run out of Chef Boyardee at home?

[ReverendDeuce]

90. Would you like someone to help you onto your cross?

You're implying that Olive Garden is the equivalent of canned pasta? Sigh. Imbecilic. No hope for this one.

[Capt. Obvious]

93. You should learn how to use that expression correctly

Enjoy your canned pasta.

[ScreamingMeemie]

86. "New Wait Times" would be better...

The place is always packed here. And, I like them.

[KamaAina]

95. Maybe if they opened some locations in high-profile places like Times Square