Why is the Olive Garden so successful?

[SpidermanTuba]

Seriously? Their food blows. I could take a list of all the other Italian restaurants in town and throw a dart at it 20 times and come up with better places to eat every time.

Why do Americans prefer bland crappy food? Really?


And I'm not speaking out of ignorance. I ate there once. It was horrible.

How do crappy chain restaurants like that stay in business while the mom & pop down the street has food twice as good at the same cost and half the wait time?

Is it because Americans are ignorant? Is it because we're dumb? Or is it because we have no taste?

 

[Skull Pilot]

The food at most chain restaurants sucks.

But people go anyway. It's one of those mysteries like stone henge or Machu Pichu

 

[Sarah G]

Seriously? Their food blows. I could take a list of all the other Italian restaurants in town and throw a dart at it 20 times and come up with better places to eat every time.

Why do Americans prefer bland crappy food? Really?


And I'm not speaking out of ignorance. I ate there once. It was horrible.

How do crappy chain restaurants like that stay in business while the mom & pop down the street has food twice as good at the same cost and half the wait time?

Is it because Americans are ignorant? Is it because we're dumb? Or is it because we have no taste?

Their food isn't crappy, some of it is really good. Plus they have above average marketing. They sell good food, bonding with friends and family, atmosphere.. They deliver on these promises too.

A lot of people really like going there. The ones around here are always busy.

That said, it isn't my cup of tea but I can always find something I like there.

 

[goldcatt]

We don't have one around here, but where I used to live I went for lunch on a regular basis. It was close and convenient, the salad was always fresh, the garlic breadsticks warm and the coffee perfect. Why not?

 

[Dis]

Seriously? Their food blows. I could take a list of all the other Italian restaurants in town and throw a dart at it 20 times and come up with better places to eat every time.

Why do Americans prefer bland crappy food? Really?


And I'm not speaking out of ignorance. I ate there once. It was horrible.

How do crappy chain restaurants like that stay in business while the mom & pop down the street has food twice as good at the same cost and half the wait time?

Is it because Americans are ignorant? Is it because we're dumb? Or is it because we have no taste?

Mom & Pop just can't make that alfredo sauce that goes with their breadsticks. One can make an entire meal out of that.

 

[midcan5]

I agree it is bad today, when it started it was much better but most food is prepackaged and only heated in many of the chains. Even Domino's pizza sucks today. But it is quick and cheap if you want only soup or salad, and most Americans are used to lousy food anyway. Our live differ from Europeans or others who sit together and eat, we rush through eating to watch the latest reality nonsense on TV.

"Our lives are not in the lap of the gods, but in the lap of our cooks." Lin Yutang

 

[Dis]

I agree it is bad today, when it started it was much better but most food is prepackaged and only heated in many of the chains. Even Domino's pizza sucks today. But it is quick and cheap if you want only soup or salad, and most Americans are used to lousy food anyway. Our live differ from Europeans or others who sit together and eat, we rush through eating to watch the latest reality nonsense on TV.

"Our lives are not in the lap of the gods, but in the lap of our cooks." Lin Yutang

If people actually stayed home and cooked... I can count the times per year I eat out on one hand...fast food included. Last time I was at Olive Garden was the week before Christmas 2 years ago.

 

[Annie]

Seriously? Their food blows. I could take a list of all the other Italian restaurants in town and throw a dart at it 20 times and come up with better places to eat every time.

Why do Americans prefer bland crappy food? Really?


And I'm not speaking out of ignorance. I ate there once. It was horrible.

How do crappy chain restaurants like that stay in business while the mom & pop down the street has food twice as good at the same cost and half the wait time?

Is it because Americans are ignorant? Is it because we're dumb? Or is it because we have no taste?

Mom & Pop just can't make that alfredo sauce that goes with their breadsticks. One can make an entire meal out of that.

I agree. We started going to OG on New Year's Eve when 2 of my now young adults were still in high chairs. They loved the breadsticks then, still love them now. They also like the salad and soup. It's probably one of the best places to try or get a recommendation for new wines. Prices are reasonable and we've never had a bad server.

We have great regional Italian restaurants within 30 minutes or less drive. Yes, we go to them once in awhile, but when we want to 'do family time' out of home, Olive Garden is one of the top choices.

 

[goldcatt]

Seriously? Their food blows. I could take a list of all the other Italian restaurants in town and throw a dart at it 20 times and come up with better places to eat every time.

Why do Americans prefer bland crappy food? Really?


And I'm not speaking out of ignorance. I ate there once. It was horrible.

How do crappy chain restaurants like that stay in business while the mom & pop down the street has food twice as good at the same cost and half the wait time?

Is it because Americans are ignorant? Is it because we're dumb? Or is it because we have no taste?

Mom & Pop just can't make that alfredo sauce that goes with their breadsticks. One can make an entire meal out of that.

Some areas do have Mom & Pop places that blow Olive Garden out of the water - including on that alfredo sauce. Yum! There's a tiny little hole in the wall here with some of the best Italian I've had outside South Philly. Then I've lived in some places where they consider pizza an "ethnic" food and can't even manage to get that right. It's all relative. To be fair to the OP, I don't think most of the chains "suck" but if I lived in a culinary capital like New Orleans I probably wouldn't bother with them either.

 

[Annie]

Seriously? Their food blows. I could take a list of all the other Italian restaurants in town and throw a dart at it 20 times and come up with better places to eat every time.

Why do Americans prefer bland crappy food? Really?


And I'm not speaking out of ignorance. I ate there once. It was horrible.

How do crappy chain restaurants like that stay in business while the mom & pop down the street has food twice as good at the same cost and half the wait time?

Is it because Americans are ignorant? Is it because we're dumb? Or is it because we have no taste?

Mom & Pop just can't make that alfredo sauce that goes with their breadsticks. One can make an entire meal out of that.

Some areas do have Mom & Pop places that blow Olive Garden out of the water - including on that alfredo sauce. Yum! There's a tiny little hole in the wall here with some of the best Italian I've had outside South Philly. Then I've lived in some places where they consider pizza an "ethnic" food and can't even manage to get that right. It's all relative. To be fair to the OP, I don't think most of the chains "suck" but if I lived in a culinary capital like New Orleans I probably wouldn't bother with them either.

Well Chicago may not be as sophisticated as New Orleans, culinary wise, but there's great Italian cooking in this area. I'd say that is why many chains don't make it around here, but thrive elsewhere. Olive Garden is an exception. As I said, service is part, price another, family atmosphere probably a part. Many of the family places with great food, tend to have help that is a tad too intrusive or prices that make it a very 'once in awhile' experience.

 

[Ringel05]

The last time my wife and I ate at an Olive Garden was over a year ago and about 6 or 8 months prior to that. They had cut their portions, raised the prices, lowered the quality of the food (exponentially) and the service sucked. The only part that was relatively good was the salad and even then is wasn't quite "fresh".
We will never go back, like others have said already there are far to many real Italian or Italian style restaurants here in the DC area too bother with Olive Garden.

 

[Douger]

Seriously? Their food blows. I could take a list of all the other Italian restaurants in town and throw a dart at it 20 times and come up with better places to eat every time.

Why do Americans prefer bland crappy food? Really?


And I'm not speaking out of ignorance. I ate there once. It was horrible.

How do crappy chain restaurants like that stay in business while the mom & pop down the street has food twice as good at the same cost and half the wait time?

Is it because Americans are ignorant? Is it because we're dumb? Or is it because we have no taste?

It's becauze 'Murkins are fat lazy morons.
It's easier to use a Visa card at a restaurant too.

 

[uscitizen]

Ollive Garden is successful because women seem to like it.

 

[Sarah G]

The last time my wife and I ate at an Olive Garden was over a year ago and about 6 or 8 months prior to that. They had cut their portions, raised the prices, lowered the quality of the food (exponentially) and the service sucked. The only part that was relatively good was the salad and even then is wasn't quite "fresh".
We will never go back, like others have said already there are far to many real Italian or Italian style restaurants here in the DC area too bother with Olive Garden.

I suggested Olive Garden to my boss when a bunch of us were on a road trip, He said I HATE Olive Garden but we ended up going anyway. The next time, we went to an authentic Italian restaurant at his suggestion and I really hated it.

The "real" Italian food is too spicy and pungent for me. I try to eat it but it doesn't sit well.

 

[Sarah G]

Ollive Garden is successful because women seem to like it.

Yeah, it's lighter Italian..

 

[strollingbones]

olive garden is popular cause women like it? okay....i dont eat there..its like most chains 90% prepackaged food heated in grease or nuked....americans suck when it comes to food quality...gone are the fresh fish markets and things like that....that mal in grocery stores is how old..hell you cant get a damn banana that doesnt rot in 3 hours

 

[chanel]

I love their soup and salad lunch. That's all I've eaten there. But I love all Italian food - bland, spicy, red, white, etc. And I also like many chains. Outback steaks are great and the Bone Fish Grill rocks.

 

[California Girl]

Generally speaking, Americans wouldn't know good food if it came up and introduced itself. Want really good food.... go to france.

 

[Nosmo King]

I remember reading in one of those dull in-flight magazines that Olive Garden is one of the franchise restaurants that flouts consistency. The recipe for marinara is different in different regions, according to regional taste preference.

So, I guess you get what you want if you live in a certain part of the country!

 

[Ringel05]

The last time my wife and I ate at an Olive Garden was over a year ago and about 6 or 8 months prior to that. They had cut their portions, raised the prices, lowered the quality of the food (exponentially) and the service sucked. The only part that was relatively good was the salad and even then is wasn't quite "fresh".
We will never go back, like others have said already there are far to many real Italian or Italian style restaurants here in the DC area too bother with Olive Garden.

I suggested Olive Garden to my boss when a bunch of us were on a road trip, He said I HATE Olive Garden but we ended up going anyway. The next time, we went to an authentic Italian restaurant at his suggestion and I really hated it.

The "real" Italian food is too spicy and pungent for me. I try to eat it but it doesn't sit well.

I find spicy and pungent in general American taste to be anything but which is probably why it's too intense for you. Having grown up and traveled all over the world I, long ago, developed a taste for true ethnic flavorings, i.e. what Wendys, Taco Hell and Poopeyes call xtra spicy I call mild, what most here call garlic bread I call Wonder. (I wonder where the garlic is).
Most "Italian" restaurants in this country are not really Italian, they're an American hybrid just like most "Chinese" restaurants. Also not all real Italian restaurants serve spicy foods only, matter of fact some can be relatively bland by comparison, it all depends on what you order and which region of Italy they are serving.