Olive Garden's Never-Ending Pasta Bowl Is Coming Back at the Same Low Price
Summer is already starting to draw to a close, which means shorter days and cooler weather are right around the corner. But in great news for Italian food lovers, the fast-approaching start of autumn also means it's time for the return of Olive Garden's beloved all-you-can-eat pasta deal.
That's right! The Italian-American chain is officially bringing back its Never-Ending Pasta Bowl, a limited-time promotion that typically reappears annually each fall. And even though prices have been on the rise at many restaurant chains in 2024, the offering will start at just $13.99—the same price tag it has boasted since 2022.
The Never-Ending Pasta Bowl will become available to all customers starting on Aug. 26, about a month earlier than it hit menus last year, and remain available through Nov. 17. However, Olive Garden's eClub members and social media followers will have early access to the in-restaurant offer starting on Aug. 19.
Those who take advantage of the promotion will be able to enjoy unlimited breadsticks (140 calories) and either soup or salad (150 calories), as well as create their own pasta dishes by choosing from a list of noodle and sauce varieties. The bottomless pasta options will include fettuccine, spaghetti (340 calories), rigatoni (440 calories), and angel hair (350 calories), while the sauce options will include Olive Garden's Creamy Mushroom (860 calories), Traditional Marinara (150 calories), Five Cheese Marinara (400 calories), Traditional Meat Sauce (300 calories), and Alfredo. Customers can also upgrade their dish with meatballs (480 calories), Italian sausage (470 calories), or Crispy Chicken Fritta (240 calories) for an extra $4.99.
All in all, customers will have 80 different flavor combinations to choose from, thanks to the variety of pastas, sauces, and proteins.
If past years are any indication, the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl will drive customers into Olive Garden restaurants in droves once it makes its grand return. In a March report, the foot traffic platform Placer.ai suggested that the promotion helped spur a solid boost in customer visits last year.
"The Italian-focused chain's success was likely bolstered by the return of the Never Ending Pasta Bowl – offered from late September 2023 through mid-November – which appears to have attracted even more hungry diners than it did the previous year," Placer.ai wrote.
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Rick Cardenas, CEO of Olive Garden's parent company Darden Restaurants, also touted the success of last year's Never-Ending Pasta Bowl event during a December earnings call.
"Guest demand was higher this year and our restaurant teams did a great job delivering outstanding guest experiences, achieving the highest refill rate ever," he said.
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