Olive Garden [merged threads]
Jan 21, 2007 | 7:54 pm
#121
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Okay - a little OG/Red Lobster background info.
They are owned by the same entity, Darden.
My first restaurant gig was for Red Lobster. An Olive Garden was right next door. We often shared products when one was running low. It's all the same stuff.
And just where does this food come from, you ask? Well, they share a foodservice distributor (Martin-Brauer) with the world's most favorite fast food chain, McDonald's. If that's not a sign of quality, I don't know what is!!
They are owned by the same entity, Darden.
My first restaurant gig was for Red Lobster. An Olive Garden was right next door. We often shared products when one was running low. It's all the same stuff.
And just where does this food come from, you ask? Well, they share a foodservice distributor (Martin-Brauer) with the world's most favorite fast food chain, McDonald's. If that's not a sign of quality, I don't know what is!!
Jan 22, 2007 | 2:48 pm
#122
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And Darden also owns Bahama Breeze, which I like, weirdly. I went to the one in Austin a couple of times and didn't know it was a chain.
Jan 22, 2007 | 3:14 pm
#123
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), but waiting 1:45h to eat at the Olive Garden (or any other chain restaurant) is just plain unbelievable, even more so considering the better alternative across the parking lot.
Jan 22, 2007 | 3:52 pm
#124
Join Date: Nov 2006
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Personally I would never wait that long at any restaurant, unless it was some kind of emergency (i.e. no other food available ), but waiting 1:45h to eat at the Olive Garden (or any other chain restaurant) is just plain unbelievable, even more so considering the better alternative across the parking lot.
), but waiting 1:45h to eat at the Olive Garden (or any other chain restaurant) is just plain unbelievable, even more so considering the better alternative across the parking lot.
Jan 22, 2007 | 4:45 pm
#125
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This thread is a hoot. I am convinced that Olive Garden purposefully makes people wait longer to get seated than necessary. I say this because on several occasions (at various times of the day and week) they have made me wait 10-20 minutes before being seated, but when they take my party into the dining room it is practically empty and wait staff are standing about. I believe they think that by forcing the customer to wait, even for a few minutes, it helps to psychologically heighten their experience at the restaurant.
Jan 22, 2007 | 5:35 pm
#126
Join Date: Aug 2006
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There's another chain down here called O'Charley's, which is basically a lunch place. Our local O'C does the same thing. I can look into the dining area and see lots of empty tables and they still make us wait a few minutes. Every time it happens I send a nasty email to corporate and every time they send me a $25 cert. Lot of free lunches...that I have to wait 5 minutes for.
Jan 22, 2007 | 9:19 pm
#127
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Jan 22, 2007 | 9:33 pm
#128
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There's another chain down here called O'Charley's, which is basically a lunch place. Our local O'C does the same thing. I can look into the dining area and see lots of empty tables and they still make us wait a few minutes. Every time it happens I send a nasty email to corporate and every time they send me a $25 cert. Lot of free lunches...that I have to wait 5 minutes for.
Jan 22, 2007 | 10:12 pm
#129
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What I've noticed, in Orlando, the quality of the food coming from Darden Restaurants tends to be better than what I've experienced in other cities. Maybe it has something to do with their corporate offices being located in Orlando.
As far as chain italian goes, I prefer Carabba's much more than OG
Jan 23, 2007 | 10:50 am
#130
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Too often those chain restaurants are a training ground for new line cooks and have a >150% turnover rate, so you're constantly having to beat into a new cook's head what should be such elemantary concepts such as it is not okay to handle raw chicken with your bare hands just before you plate up some cooked food. That comes from years of experience in all aspects of many different chain rest's.
Jan 23, 2007 | 1:37 pm
#131
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I don't mean to be churlish but where I come from there's a Fish and Chip shop and a Chinese takeaway and,er ...that's it.
Entertainment on a Saturday night is an all-night cigarette machine,competitive street vomiting and staring at the changing traffic lights.
On the other hand we don't suffer from chronic obesity and chafing thighs !
Entertainment on a Saturday night is an all-night cigarette machine,competitive street vomiting and staring at the changing traffic lights.
On the other hand we don't suffer from chronic obesity and chafing thighs !
Jan 23, 2007 | 1:42 pm
#132
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I don't mean to be churlish but where I come from there's a Fish and Chip shop and a Chinese takeaway and,er ...that's it.
Entertainment on a Saturday night is an all-night cigarette machine,competitive street vomiting and staring at the changing traffic lights.
On the other hand we don't suffer from chronic obesity and chafing thighs !
Entertainment on a Saturday night is an all-night cigarette machine,competitive street vomiting and staring at the changing traffic lights.
On the other hand we don't suffer from chronic obesity and chafing thighs !
So, you're getting an Olive Garden soon?
Jan 23, 2007 | 1:54 pm
#133
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Jan 26, 2007 | 12:15 am
#134
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 78
Olive Garden is really good. Their breadsticks are the best. They were very warm and smothered in garlic butter. Great!
At the Olive Garden we went to, we got seated straight away, and the waitress wasn't all that rude. She came over whenever we needed her, and she asked how our meal was. It was fresh, hot, and delicious.
I'd go there again.
At the Olive Garden we went to, we got seated straight away, and the waitress wasn't all that rude. She came over whenever we needed her, and she asked how our meal was. It was fresh, hot, and delicious.
I'd go there again.
Jan 26, 2007 | 12:36 am
#135
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Only people who spend as much time eating airline food as the people do here could possibly defend Olive Garden. This reminds me of a friend's girlfriend who tried to argue that the food at Acapulco's is better than the food in Mexico.
Yeah, right...
Yeah, right...