Olive Garden will be making an unusually out of theme addition to its menu starting on Wednesday. The chain, most known for its Italian style food, will be adding a six ounce burger for $9.99 in order to better compete with fast-casual sit down dining chains such as Chili's and Applebees.
Owned by Darden Restaurants Inc. Olive Garden has been working to refine its menu while it continues to struggle to attract American customers as competition from these other chains continues to grow in the aftermath of the recent economic downturn, reports Bloomberg.
The chain has been trying to advertise three-course meals aimed at the more budget-conscious consumer. Still Olive Garden's same-store sales have dropped 4 percent in three months that ended in Aug. 25. In Oct., hedge fund Capital Group LP took a 2.8 percent stake and began pushing for changes to the business.
After taking a look at what competitors were having success with, the chain found that it was often losing customers "to a burger craving," according to Jim Nuetzi, executive chef at the 820-store chain.
The burger features six-ounces of beef topped with mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula, pest tomatoes and an aioli spread. The burger was tested twice and refined by Nuetzi after diners suggested some changes. He has since doubled the aioli spread and sliced the tomatoes rather than dicing them, which led to them falling out of the bun and making for a messy dining experience. The biggest change to the menu was not only the burger but the addition of French fries as well. Olive Garden sandwiches used to be served a la carte. Starting next month, they'll be paired with parmesan garlic fries.
"It just became obvious," Nuetzi said. "You've got to serve a burger with fries."
What do you think of Olive Garden including a burger and fries on its menu? Are you excited to try the Italian twist on this American classic or would you prefer the restaurant chain just stuck to traditional Italian dishes? Comment and share your thoughts with us below.
