This might upset our real red-blooded Italian readers, but Canada will soon get more Olive Gardens.
What happened: Restaurant group Recipe Unlimited snapped up the eight Canadian Olive Garden locations from the brand’s U.S. owner. The deal gives Recipe rights to operate new locations of the Italian-inspired eatery in Canada, which it will do with a new expansion plan.
- Only B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba have Olive Garden locations. Ontario used to have some, but they closed by the early 2000s.
- It makes sense why Recipe would want to revive the chain in Canada, as it has earned a devoted fanbase in the U.S. and has seen sales surge in recent years.
Why it matters: Besides promising to deliver Canadians expanded access to endless soup, salad, and breadsticks, the deal tightens Recipe’s iron grip on the full-service restaurant sector in Canada. The firm is the king of sit-down chains you might find in shopping plazas.
- Recipe is Canada’s largest full-service restaurant company, with some of the biggest names in Canadian food under its banner, including Swiss Chalet, The Keg, Harvey’s, East Side Mario’s, Montana’s, New York Fries, and a dozen others.
- In total, the firm has over 1,200 restaurant locations across Canada.
Big picture: Even as Canada’s restaurant industry struggles post-pandemic, full-service joints have been a steady performer. Since 2022, sales at these restaurants have exceeded pre-pandemic sales, with numbers remaining stable despite consumer price pressures.—QH