Olive Garden fans -- important news

[v]

Olive Garden: $100 for 7 weeks of pasta

Olive Garden is about to try a pretty outlandish gimmick to lure folks in the door: pasta up the kazoo.




They're not calling it that, of course. But on Monday, the casual dining chain whose business has seriously softened in recent years, will announce plans for its first-ever "Never Ending Pasta Pass" -- which, for $100, gives the holder the right to consume all of the pasta, salad, bread and Coca-Cola branded soft drinks that they can stuff down for seven weeks.





But you may need to act fast. Only 1,000 of these pasta passes will be sold -- beginning Monday at 3 p.m. ET -- online via the Olive Garden web site. Nothing like being one of 1,000 VIP's who can gorge on pasta for 49 days in a row. The PR stunt piggybacks with the chain's annual "Never Ending Pasta Bowl" promo, Sept. 22 through Nov. 9., which lets folks eat all the pasta they want for $9.99.


"What we're trying to do is get some attention," says Jay Spenchian, executive vice president of marketing. "It's sure to provoke a reaction."



There's been a recent rash of all-you-can eat promotions in casual dining. Little wonder. In a struggling industry, these promos tend to generate social media buzz and boost customer visits. In July, TGI Friday's rolled out an "Endless Appetizers" promotion that let folks chow down all the appetizers they wanted for $10. Red Lobster, the former sister company to Olive Garden, is in the midst of its "Endless Shrimp" fest, which fetches about $15.99, depending on location. And Outback currently has a $15.99 Steak and Unlimited Shrimp promo.

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Last year during its "Never Ending Pasta Bowl" promotion, Olive Garden served 13 million bowls, says Spenchian. "It's our most popular and most requested promotion," he says. And, he notes, the 800-store chain hopes to attract more attention to the promotion by tacking-on the $100 Never Ending Pasta Pass.



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But wait, warns Robyn Flipse, a registered dietitian and author of the book Fighting the Freshman Fifteen. Any promotion that stresses all-you-can-eat works contrary to the one of the most important aspects of the dining experience: remaining mindful of what you eat. "If the primary object is to get your money's worth, it has nothing to do with good nutrition," she says. Instead, she recommends, prepare some special pasta at home -- and save a lot of calories and money.


But Spenchian says this Olive Garden promotion isn't about gorging but about fun. "We're trying to make our fans feel like VIPs," he says. That's one reason that up to seven guests who eat with the pass-holder will receive freebie Coca-Cola branded drinks, he says.

There are some limits, however. For example, you're not supposed the share the pasta with others at the table. "Of course, if someone shares we do understand — we're not policing the tables," he says.




As for the $100 pass-holder who opts to eat every lunch and dinner at Olive Garden for seven weeks, well, Spenchian says that's no problem at all. "I'd love to see that," he says. "Especially if they bring four or five guests along."



www.cnbc.com/id/101979356?trknav=homestack:topnews:3

[lasagnasshole]

Sept 8, 2014 16:37:09 GMT -5 v said:

In July, TGI Friday's rolled out an "Endless Appetizers" promotion that let folks chow down all the appetizers they wanted for $10.

If anybody hasn't read this, it's worth it:

gawker.com/my-14-hour-search-for-the-end-of-tgi-fridays-endless-ap-1606122925

[kadams767]

Sept 8, 2014 16:46:49 GMT -5 lasagnasshole said:

Sept 8, 2014 16:37:09 GMT -5 v said:

In July, TGI Friday's rolled out an "Endless Appetizers" promotion that let folks chow down all the appetizers they wanted for $10.

If anybody hasn't read this, it's worth it:

gawker.com/my-14-hour-search-for-the-end-of-tgi-fridays-endless-ap-1606122925

I just was going to post that I hope she gets one of the 1000 Olive Garden pasta passes! 

[Kore]

Sept 8, 2014 16:46:49 GMT -5 lasagnasshole said:

Sept 8, 2014 16:37:09 GMT -5 v said:

In July, TGI Friday's rolled out an "Endless Appetizers" promotion that let folks chow down all the appetizers they wanted for $10.

If anybody hasn't read this, it's worth it:

gawker.com/my-14-hour-search-for-the-end-of-tgi-fridays-endless-ap-1606122925

This is good stuff.

[msmerymac]

I feel sad for the Olive Garden servers. For many reasons, but here, specifically, because you know the 75 year old guys who snatch up these passes ain't gonna tip on top of their $100. They will proudly eat lunch and dinner for $1 and some change EVERY day and that's that.

[rbp]

Sept 8, 2014 16:46:49 GMT -5 lasagnasshole said:

Sept 8, 2014 16:37:09 GMT -5 v said:

In July, TGI Friday's rolled out an "Endless Appetizers" promotion that let folks chow down all the appetizers they wanted for $10.

If anybody hasn't read this, it's worth it:

gawker.com/my-14-hour-search-for-the-end-of-tgi-fridays-endl

[jewel]

Sold out!

[lasagnasshole]

Sept 8, 2014 16:51:34 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

Sept 8, 2014 16:46:49 GMT -5 lasagnasshole said:

If anybody hasn't read this, it's worth it:

gawker.com/my-14-hour-search-for-the-end-of-tgi-fridays-endless-ap-1606122925

I just was going to post that I hope she gets one of the 1000 Olive Garden pasta passes! 

I said to H that the Gawker chick should get one of these passes and go to OG for the whole time and write about it. GLORIOUS!

[Deleted]

The thought of eating at OG for 7 weeks in a row makes me want to vomit

[kadams767]

DH and I were talking about this. If it includes the salad/breadsticks like the article seems to imply, this seems like a MM deal, haha. You could go for lunch, eat just salad and a breadstick, and go back for dinner for salad and pasta and probably not do much damage, health wise, right? That's what, less than $1/meal for 7 weeks?

[v]

Sept 8, 2014 20:47:10 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

DH and I were talking about this. If it includes the salad/breadsticks like the article seems to imply, this seems like a MM deal, haha. You could go for lunch, eat just salad and a breadstick, and go back for dinner for salad and pasta and probably not do much damage, health wise, right? That's what, less than $1/meal for 7 weeks?

It includes soda for your and your table mates too, which makes it an even better deal.

Considering that we don't have the never-ending pasta bowl here and that the cucina mia pasta (which I think is what the NEPB includes) is $13.99 here, I could have made a killing!

[curbsideprophet]

I can not image trying to eat mozzarella sticks all day long.

I do not have a desire to eat at Olive Garden for seven weeks, but if I had to pick one style of food to eat for seven weeks I think Italian food would be a good option.

[agnes]

Man I love Olive Garden! But it gives me the poops EVERY TIME I EAT IT.

[FrozenSunshine]

This could have fed my friends and I in our 20's. We'd split the bottle of wine or two on the side. It would have still been MM!

[maria120]

Sept 8, 2014 16:46:49 GMT -5 lasagnasshole said:

Sept 8, 2014 16:37:09 GMT -5 v said:

In July, TGI Friday's rolled out an "Endless Appetizers" promotion that let folks chow down all the appetizers they wanted for $10.

If anybody hasn't read this, it's worth it:

gawker.com/my-14-hour-search-for-the-end-of-tgi-fridays-endless-ap-1606122925

HILARIOUS!!! I especially loved this part:

6:00 p.m. Gabby and I begin the delicate and confusing process that is closing out her part of the check without jeopardizing my Endless Appetizers.

LOFL....

[mushmouse]

Clearly I was wrong - the Olive Garden is the epitome of fine, Italian dining.

[raangoli]

Am I the only one who wants to eat mozzarella sticks now?

[msmerymac]

Sept 9, 2014 9:16:19 GMT -5 raangoli said:

Am I the only one who wants to eat mozzarella sticks now?

Nope!

It did make me realize that all of those TGI Friday's apps on the unlimited menu are FULL of salt, though (like all their food, I'm sure). Probably limits you from eating too many, eventually. They actually looked pretty good in the photo, though...

[meij]

Sept 8, 2014 16:46:49 GMT -5 lasagnasshole said:

Sept 8, 2014 16:37:09 GMT -5 v said:

In July, TGI Friday's rolled out an "Endless Appetizers" promotion that let folks chow down all the appetizers they wanted for $10.

If anybody hasn't read this, it's worth it:

gawker.com/my-14-hour-search-for-the-end-of-tgi-fridays-endless-ap-1606122925

I love everything Caity Weaver has written. You all need to go read her and this guy Rich's series "The Best Restaurant in New York is..." They've also done a haunted house, Zumba class, spin class and she went on a Paula Deen cruise.

If I am ever banished to a deserted island I'm taking her and Jimmy Fallon.