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[maxcriden]

NEW YORK (AP) -- Olive Garden is defending its practice of giving customers as many breadsticks as they want, saying the policy conveys "Italian generosity."

The remark is part of a response by the chain's parent company, Darden Restaurants Inc., to a nearly 300-page criticism released by hedge fund Starboard Value last week. Starboard took Olive Garden and its management to task for a litany of issues, including its liberal distribution of breadsticks, its failure to salt the water used to boil its pasta and even the length of the asparagus it serves.

Starboard is lobbying to gain control of Darden's board of directors at the company's annual meeting Oct. 10. Darden, which is based in Orlando, Florida, has struggled to boost sales at Olive Garden with the growing popularity of chains such as Chipotle, where people feel they can get food similar in quality to a sit-down restaurant for less money. Under pressure to boost results, Darden recently sold off Red Lobster, which was doing even worse than Olive Garden. But Starboard and others took issue with the sale and wanted the company's breakup structured differently.

As for its breadsticks, Starboard said last week that Olive Garden was being wasteful because servers weren't sticking to the policy of providing one breadstick per customer, plus an extra for the table. The investor said servers lacked "training and discipline" and were bringing out too many breadsticks at a time, which also led to cold breadsticks. Starboard noted that it wasn't calling for Olive Garden to stop giving away unlimited breadsticks, but simply exercise more control in how they're distributed.

Starboard also said servers were overfilling salad bowls and using too much dressing, which it said drives up costs.

In its response Monday, Darden said that "Olive Garden's salad and breadsticks have been an icon of brand equity since 1982." The company didn't say whether it would change the way salad and breadsticks are brought out, however.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/olive-garden-defends-breadstick-policy-153421358--finance.html

Selected comments:

Don't let the hedgefund bean counters get control!!! they will destroy the restaurant. They don't care how the food tastes or the employees . They only see the bottom line and don't care about the rest. Just look at Famous Daves, not only has the restaurant tanked , they have fired everyone from the "old guard" including any females they were in a position of power and are moving to Chicago. The Board of Directors are nothing but bean counters and hostile take over artists. Even Dave Anderson had resigned and is no longer part of the company and he started it!

On the last article I said this before, they DO NOT give you all the bread sticks you want. I was told numerous times that the "THE BREAD STICKS ARE IN THE OVEN". By the time if that was true, they never brought any. The portions have become smaller and the waitresses and waiters are some the laziest I have ever seen. Every Olive Garden I used to eat in at different locations would never refill your soda without asking or waving an arm to get their attention. Salad was never brought out after asking for more. I left no tips for these lousy servers. The food quality plummeted. I haven't eaten in an Olive Garden in over 6 years now, and certainly will not go back. I have found a great INDEPENDENT not CHAIN that has great service and fabulous food, unlike the garbage served at Olive Garden.

We went to Olive Garden in San Jose, Ca not long ago. The oil on the breadsticks was rancid, the salad looked like it had been out on the counter all day, and the food was still frozen in the middle. Not only that - but we sat in the bar for an hour without the hostess coming to get us when our table was ready, so someone else claimed to be us and took our table. Fortunately, they sat us in no time. Also fortunate - the other people were stuck with our bar tab! When we walked out they were arguing with the hostess, who said - Are you not John and Tammy or did you take their table? We walked out the door and said "BYE JOHN AND TAMMY AND THANKS FOR THE DRINKS!" LOL.

#breadsticksforall if old.

 

[entremet]

They don't salt the water for pasta?

No wonder it tastes like crap. Granted, last time I went to Olive Garden was a cheap date in college, but salting your pasta water is essential for good pasta.

 

[Halcyon]

I never get past the breadsticks and salad when I eat there. It always means I have a delicious cold piece of lasagna in the fridge waiting for me in the morning.


Olive Garden better not fuck this equilibrium up.

 

[Keylime]

What's the point of going to Olive Garden at all if they aren't overflowing your table with piping hot breadsticks?!

This would be like going to Red Lobster and getting very little cheddar bay biscuit attention.

Without breadsticks on the plenty, Olive Garden may as well not exist. 2 per customer with an extra 2 for the table should be the minimum!

 

[Grimm Fandango]

So they want to ruin the best things about the restaurant (salad and breadsticks)? Like no one goes there for the menu stuff.

In the history of forever, no one has yet to say "Let's go to Olive Garden for some pasta". Nope, never.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Didn't it say in the article he's not opposed to unlimited bread sticks but just opposed to bringing out too many at once?

What are these comments talking about?

 

[Aquamarine]

Screw the chain's generosity...I'm with the hedge fund!

 

[ConfusingJazz]

If they stopped giving breadsticks, they should just burn every location to the ground.

 

[HamPster PamPster]

#freeterrisus over #freenudemacusers?

I haven't been this confused since that one restaurant refused to salt its pasta water

 

[Indrid Cold1]

What the hell is that thread title all about? I mean I get the topic but all that extraneous stuff?

 

[Faiz]

I lost it at "icon of brand equity".

 

[Orbis Tabula]

Hahaha, like everyone is saying, this will backfire. Pasta and breadsticks drive 99% of Olive Garden traffic. Who would go there just for their chappy pasta? But then again, they're rich people who run restaurants, and I'm a schmuck who eats at Olive Garden, so what do I know?

 

[Keylime]

What the hell is that thread title all about? I mean I get the topic but all that extraneous stuff?

I don't know, I think #broccolirabbers was pretty sweet...

 

[Snaku]

Hahaha, like everyone is saying, this will backfire. Pasta and breadsticks drive 99% of Olive Garden traffic. Who would go there just for their chappy pasta? But then again, they're rich people who run restaurants, and I'm a schmuck who eats at Olive Garden, so what do I know?

The breadsticks are the only reason why I go there. If they changed their policy they would never get my business again.

 

[Volimar]

The breadsticks are the best thing they have there.

 

[SoulPlaya]

Radical investors are such a scourge these days.

 

[maxcriden]

Hahaha, like everyone is saying, this will backfire. Pasta and breadsticks drive 99% of Olive Garden traffic. Who would go there just for their chappy pasta? But then again, they're rich people who run restaurants, and I'm a schmuck who eats at Olive Garden, so what do I know?

Chappy Pasta is going to be the new Flappy Bird, just watch.

 

[TheAbsolution]

The breadsticks are the only reason why I go there. If they changed their policy they would never get my business again.

Again, its not about unlimited breadsticks. Its more about too many at one time leading to cold bread sticks.

 

[MetatronM]

They don't salt the pasta water? How...what? I mean, even for Olive Garden, that's beyond boggling.

 

[Meier]

What the hell is that thread title all about? I mean I get the topic but all that extraneous stuff?

There is an "activist investor" who has been trying to take over Darden Restaurants for the past few years now. Darden has still been very profitable but their revenue is shrinking a bit and they're not actively seeing growth. They put out a report that is basically done to make Darden look bad and further force their hand to make changes. It's a bit of a scary proposition.. effectively a hostile takeover by a hedge fund.

It's sad to think they sold off Red Lobster. My dad was forced into early retirement due to all of the downsizing Darden did earlier this year in their construction management divisions. Something like no new restaurants planned for 3 years.

 

[block tower]

ill usually go to olive garden once a month with friends and do the soup, salad, bread sticks deal.

 

[nintendork666]

Don't take away my breadsticks.

 

[Liberty4all]

The chain hasn't been in Canada for over 10 years now but I have happy memories of the table groaning under the weight of the breadsticks and salad. That was the best thing about olive garden in my memory.

 

[Goro Majima]

Most, not all, Olive Gardens I've been to are usually incredibly busy and have no shortage of people wanting their bland version of Italian food.

I'm sure their profit margins are low on their food and make it up in alcohol like most places. There's a fast casual Italian place near where I live that does gangbusters though so there's definitely a market for it if they chose to go in that direction.

 

[DietRob]

I'm not proud to say that I go to olive garden. But the 1 or 2 times a year I do go it's for the breadsticks and salad not that frozen and reheated pasta.

I'm honestly surprised that they actually boil pasta there (not surprised they do so without salt). I thought for sure all of the food was frozen and microwaved since quite a few times I've had pasta that was ice cold in the middle of the plate.

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

So many people didn't read the quotes

They just want the servers to put out 1 breadstick per person + 1 extra for the table. It is still unlimited.

All those extra uneaten breadsticks add up.

 

[Halcyon]

So many people didn't read the quotes

They just want the servers to put out 1 breadstick per person + 1 extra for the table. It is still unlimited.

All those extra uneaten breadsticks add up.

So in your FUCKED UP WORLD, you'd be sitting at a table with your significant other, and the server would bring out a basket of 3 breadsticks.


THREE?! You sick fuck. You disgust me.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

So in your FUCKED UP WORLD, you'd be sitting at a table with your significant other, and the server would bring out a basket of 3 breadsticks.


THREE?! You sick fuck. You disgust me.

They're still unlimited!

 

[Stet]

This is like complaining that you only had a little bit of diarrhea instead of a torrential spray.

 

[Halcyon]

They're still unlimited!

That's what they all say. "I'll bring out more" "You can have as many as you want, whenever I decide to come back"

You two are the first against the Olive Wall when the revolution comes.

 

[DietRob]

This is like complaining that you only had a little bit of diarrhea instead of a torrential spray.

Bread gives you a torrential spray of diarrhea? Jeez better stick to mommy's breast milk little baby.

 

[Tesseract]

So many people didn't read the quotes

They just want the servers to put out 1 breadstick per person + 1 extra for the table. It is still unlimited.

All those extra uneaten breadsticks add up.

that ain't unlimited

 

[Slayven]

There will be blood and thanes will sing about the Bread Wars.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

So many people didn't read the quotes

They just want the servers to put out 1 breadstick per person + 1 extra for the table. It is still unlimited.

All those extra uneaten breadsticks add up.

You're a monster. Do we live in Soviet Russia? Will I have to stand in line for more breadsticks? Quit trying to take away my freedom, commie.

They're still unlimited!

Yeah, when the waiter decides to get more, aka when the meal comes. This is some bullshit, and in your heart, you know it.

 

[Haint]

How much could a bread stick possibly cost on the scale they produce them? 5 or 10 cents? If even one table feels slighted and decides not to go back it'd be like binning 1000+ breadsticks at that location.

 

[Liberty4all]

So many people didn't read the quotes

They just want the servers to put out 1 breadstick per person + 1 extra for the table. It is still unlimited.

All those extra uneaten breadsticks add up.

I read it. I always felt the "overflowing with more than I could eat" feeling is part of the olive garden experience. Never having to worry about running out because they just keep coming.

Wasteful I guess but a part of the "bountiful" food experience. IMHO having to beg for more will wreck the experience.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

How much could a bread stick possibly cost on the scale they produce them? 5 or 10 cents?

Ok, honestly, on a restuarant on this scale, with their profit margins, those 5 or 10 cents added together equates to significant amount of money.

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

that ain't unlimited

Unfortunately they don't have a breadstick equivalent of Legolas' quiver....yet

 

[Grym]

the only thing worth getting at Olive Garden is soup, salad, and breadsticks

Spoiler

(and tiramisu)

. They sure as hell better bring me more than 1 at a time.

 

[Stet]

Bread gives you a torrential spray of diarrhea? Jeez better stick to mommy's breast milk little baby.

That's not how an analogy works. In this comparison, Olive Garden breadsticks are diarrhea.

 

[Haint]

Ok, honestly, on a restuarant on this scale, with their profit margins, those 5 or 10 cents added together equates to significant amount of money.

If even one table feels slighted and decides not to go back it'd be like binning 1000-2000+ breadsticks at that location, assuming an average 3 or 4 top $50 check.

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

If even one table feels slighted and decides not to go back it'd be like binning 1000+ breadsticks at that location.

how is it getting slighted? Having to ask the staff for another basket of breadsticks = slighted now?

 

[ZealousD]

I read it. I always felt the "overflowing with more than I could eat" feeling is part of the olive garden experience. Never having to worry about running out because they just keep coming.

Wasteful I guess but a part of the "bountiful" food experience. IMHO having to beg for more will wreck the experience.

Their breadsticks are only good when they're hot, though. I honestly can't disagree with what the investors are saying, here. Food waste is awful.

 

[mackattk]

Time and time again, I have seen businesses fail when they start to tighten up what they offer. Raise the price a little if you have to, don't skimp out on portion sizes or quality. All this leads to is pissed off customers coming in expecting what they have had before, then never coming back.

 

[Purple Cheeto]

So they want to ruin the best things about the restaurant (salad and breadsticks)? Like no one goes there for the menu stuff.

In the history of forever, no one has yet to say "Let's go to Olive Garden for some pasta". Nope, never.

I used to work with dudes who did

They were also regulars at a local Islands

 

[Haint]

how is it getting slighted? Having to ask the staff for another basket of breadsticks = slighted now?

Restaurant competition is fierce and the public is fickle. People will avoid establishments full stop in perpetuity cause they had a rude service. Taking what is arguably the most well known staple of Olive Garden and getting stingy with it would assuredly turn a lot of people away. It'd be fine for a new restaurant, but not an established brand and history.

 

[Tesseract]

imma hollow out my cane and hide sticks in there

 

[XiaNaphryz]

imma hollow out my cane and hide sticks in there

What did you do to get a colored tag?

lol

 

[Orbis Tabula]

Chappy Pasta is going to be the new Flappy Bird, just watch.

Have you played it? Only 3.99 on the App Store. My high score is 42.

 

[radioactivez0r]

I don't even particularly like Olive Garden, but I was bummed to hear that Red Lobster was not doing well. A life without cheddar bay biscuits is not a life I want to lead.