About Olive Garden
From one restaurant in Orlando in 1982 to 900+ locations today — the real story
of the brand, who owns it now, and what it actually does in the communities it
serves.
Olive Garden opened its first restaurant in Orlando, Florida, on December 13, 1982, founded by Blaine Sweatt, Mark Given, Gino DeSantis, and Dave Manuchia. It started under General Mills before becoming part of Darden Restaurants, Inc. in 1995. Today it operates 900+ locations across the U.S. and more than a dozen other countries and territories, and every restaurant participates in the company’s Harvest food donation program.
The real timeline
From one restaurant to a national brand
1982
The first restaurant, then called “The Olive Garden,” opens in Orlando, Florida on December 13, founded by Blaine Sweatt, Mark Given, Gino DeSantis, and Dave Manuchia as a division of General Mills.
1989
The chain reaches 145 locations, becoming the fastest-growing restaurant division within General Mills at the time.
1995
General Mills spins off its restaurant division into an independent public company: Darden Restaurants, Inc. Olive Garden becomes one of its founding brands.
1998
The brand drops “The” from its name, becoming simply Olive Garden.
2003
Olive Garden restaurants begin participating in the Harvest food donation program, redirecting surplus food to local hunger-relief organizations instead of throwing it away.
2014
The Never-Ending Pasta Pass debuts for the brand’s anniversary, becoming one of Olive Garden’s most talked-about promotions in the years since.
2026
Olive Garden operates 900+ U.S. restaurants and locations across more than a dozen countries and territories, under Darden’s growing portfolio of dining brands.
Ownership & the Darden family of restaurants
Olive Garden is a subsidiary brand of Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: DRI), a publicly traded
company headquartered in Orlando — the same city Olive Garden itself was founded in. Darden
was originally founded in 1938 by a 19-year-old named Bill Darden, who opened his first
restaurant, The Green Frog, in Waycross, Georgia.
Olive Garden
LongHorn Steakhouse
Yard House
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen
The Capital Grille
Chuy’s
Seasons 52
Eddie V’s
Bahama Breeze
The Capital Burger
Community & the Harvest program
What happens to the food that doesn’t get served
Every one of Olive Garden’s 900+ restaurants participates in the Harvest program,
working with Food Donation Connection to redirect wholesome, unserved food —
pasta, soup, chicken, vegetables — to local nonprofits each week instead of the
trash.
2003
Program started
148M+ lbs
Donated across Darden brands since inception*
$16.3M+
Darden Foundation gifts to Feeding America since 2017
What Darden says it’s building toward
Mission & culture
Darden’s own stated mission centers on being financially successful by having great people
consistently deliver outstanding food, drinks, and service in a welcoming atmosphere — with the
goal of earning every guest’s loyalty. For Olive Garden specifically, that’s shown up over the
decades as a brand built around abundance: unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks, and family-
style portions meant to be shared.
Hospitality-first culture — Darden is regularly recognized for internal promotion, with many General Managers having started in entry-level roles.
Community-rooted giving — the Harvest program and Feeding America partnership are standing commitments, not one-off campaigns
Scratch-made kitchen practices — soups, sauces, and breadsticks are prepared fresh in-restaurant rather than shipped pre-made.
Growth through both brands and geography — Darden has added brands like Chuy’s and The Capital Burger in recent years while Olive Garden itself keeps expanding internationally.
Keep exploring
More about Olive Garden
Careers
Current openings and the real path from entry-level to General Manager.
Franchising
What’s actually true about owning an Olive Garden — and what isn’t.
Full Menu
Every category, with current pricing and nutrition info.
