Olive Garden, known for its breadsticks and pasta, is teaming up with Uber for a new delivery service.
Parent company Darden Restaurants announced that starting later this year, a limited number of Olive Garden locations will begin using Uber Eats drivers to deliver food.
If successful, the service could expand to all 900-plus locations by May next year.
Currently, Olive Garden handles delivery through its own website and app using restaurant staff.
With this new partnership, Uber Eats will handle deliveries, but customers will still need to order directly through Olive Garden’s platforms, as the restaurant won’t appear on the Uber Eats app.
Darden CEO Rick Cardenas said the partnership meets customer demand for home delivery and called Uber the “clear choice” due to its ability to provide valuable customer data.
Previously, Olive Garden avoided third-party delivery services, citing concerns over profitability and food quality.
However, the shift comes after a challenging quarter, with Olive Garden reporting a 2.9% drop in same-store sales. Despite this, Darden’s stock saw a 9% jump following the announcement.
To attract customers, Olive Garden has resisted major price hikes and focused on promotions like the return of its “Never-Ending Pasta” deal.
Darden, which also owns Yard House and Longhorn Steakhouse, said overall sales across its brands have improved recently.
