Olive Garden has long held a zealous conviction that if you want breadsticks, you come in for breadsticks. But today it reversed course.
Rick Cardenas, CEO of Darden
Olive Garden’s owner Darden Restaurants announced that it has made an exclusive two-year deal with Uber to pilot a program in select markets. Consumers in these unannounced markets will be able to make an order through the Olive Garden app starting later in the year. Individual orders will be picked up and delivered by Uber Direct, a premium delivery service. Olive Garden won’t be listed on the broader Uber Eats platform. If everything goes to plan, the brand is expected to roll out delivery nationally in its 900 locations by May of next year.
“Guests have been asking us for home delivery options and they continue to show they are willing to pay for the convenience,” said Rick Cardenas, Darden President and CEO, in a statement. “As we continued to evaluate delivery, it was important for us to find a way to address this guest need state without disrupting the team member or guest experience and without compromising our competitive advantages and simple operating model. Uber is a partner we believe shares that vision and can meet our expectations. Their investment in a custom-integration, commitment to Olive Garden’s first-party delivery growth, and efficiency and speed at a national scale, made this exclusive partnership a clear choice.”
Darden has long preferred to accentuate its catering business than dither with delivery, so this is a major shift. And it’s a coup for Uber, which continues its momentum in bringing over holdovers after last year’s news of a Domino’s partnership.
“We’re excited to announce this partnership and look forward to bringing guests the excellent, convenient and reliable experience that is foundational to both of our brands,” said Sarfraz Maredia, vice president of delivery, head of Americas at Uber Eats, in a statement. “On-demand delivery is increasingly a core expectation for consumers. People also expect a great experience, especially when it’s from a brand they love like Olive Garden, and that doesn’t change whether it’s at the restaurant or at home. We’re confident our teams can deliver on that promise together and continue to grow first-party delivery as a channel.”
