Does Olive Garden
franchise?

See the Real Exceptions Franchise Alternatives

900+

U.S. Olive Garden locations

2,202

Total Darden restaurants (all brands)

1982

Founded, Orlando, FL

11

Restaurant brands under Darden

Not in the traditional U.S. sense — nearly every location is corporately owned.

Darden Restaurants owns and operates virtually all Olive Garden locations directly. There are two narrow, real exceptions — U.S. airport locations and select international markets — covered below, along with what Darden’s own SEC filings actually say.

Ownership structure

Who actually owns Olive Garden

Olive Garden is a subsidiary brand of Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: DRI), a publicly traded
company. Darden’s own SEC filings describe itself as a full-service restaurant company that owns
and operates its locations directly — franchising is the exception across its portfolio, not the rule.

The real split

Corporate-owned vs. franchised — what Darden’s filings actually show

Darden’s own reporting draws this line clearly across its entire restaurant portfolio, not just Olive
Garden.

Corporately owned & operated

  • Nearly all 900+ U.S. Olive Garden restaurants
  • Managed directly by Darden Restaurants, Inc.
  • No franchise fees, royalties, or independent ownership involved

Franchised or third-party operated

  • A small number of restaurants across all Darden brands combined — 87 U.S. franchise/area-development locations and 77 international franchised locations, per Darden’s February 2026 filing
  • These figures span Olive Garden, LongHorn, and other Darden brands together — Darden doesn’t break out an Olive Garden-only franchise count publicly
  • International franchised restaurants operate in Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East

Where franchising is real

The two legitimate paths to an Olive Garden franchise

Both run through Darden’s own dedicated franchising division — not through general applications,
and not through third-party listing sites.

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U.S. airport locations.

Darden’s international and airport franchising program covers select U.S. airport Olive Garden locations, which operate on a smaller footprint than standard restaurants.

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International markets.

Darden actively seeks franchise partners for Olive Garden in select countries outside the U.S. Olive Garden currently operates internationally in markets including Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, the Philippines, and parts of the Middle East.

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General U.S. franchise applications aren’t accepted.

There’s no domestic “buy an Olive Garden” process — sites or forms suggesting otherwise for standard U.S. locations aren’t representing Darden’s actual program.

What Darden actually looks for

Qualifications for the international/airport program

Darden hasn’t published specific fee amounts publicly — costs vary by territory, market
opportunity, and unit-growth potential, and are discussed individually with qualified applicants.

Multi-unit restaurant or hospitality operating experience, not first-time restaurant ownership

Operational infrastructure already in place— staffing systems, local partnerships, and logistics capable of running a high-volume restaurant

Significant available capital — well-capitalized partners are explicitly required

Willingness to follow Darden’s brand standards — for service, food preparation, and branding exactly as specified

Local market knowledge of the specific country or territory being proposed

If domestic ownership was the goal

What people usually mean when they search this

Run a location, don’t own it

Olive Garden promotes General Managers from within regularly — this is the realistic path to running your own Olive Garden location without buying a franchise.

Own an Italian restaurant, different brand

Several Italian-American casual dining chains do offer traditional U.S. franchising, if brand ownership specifically is the goal.

Invest in Darden directly

Darden Restaurants, Inc. is publicly traded (NYSE: DRI) — buying shares is a different kind of stake in the company’s performance, not restaurant ownership.

Looking for a career instead of a franchise?

Olive Garden hires management and hourly team members directly, with a
real internal promotion track to General Manager — see our careers page
for current openings.

View Careers

Frequently asked questions

Not through a general application. Nearly all U.S. locations are corporately owned by Darden Restaurants. The only U.S. exception is a small number of airport locations, handled through Darden’s dedicated franchising division.

Darden hasn’t published official fee figures — franchise costs for the international/airport program vary by territory and market opportunity, and are discussed individually with qualified applicants who meet the capital and experience requirements.

Yes. Darden actively franchises Olive Garden in select international markets, including parts of Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia, and the Middle East, alongside company-owned international locations.

Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: DRI), a publicly traded company that also owns LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, The Capital Grille, and several other full-service brands.

Yes — becoming a General Manager through Olive Garden’s internal hiring and promotion track is the realistic way to run a location day-to-day without the capital or territory requirements of franchise ownership.