Sponsored By

COVID variant puts damper on Olive Garden parent’s traffic, workersCOVID variant puts damper on Olive Garden parent’s traffic, workers

In January, worker exclusions for Omicron were three times higher than monthly peak of Delta variant, says Ricardo Cardenas

Ron Ruggless, Senior Editor

March 24, 2022

3 Min Read
Nation's Restaurant News logo in a gray background | Nation's Restaurant News

The COVID Omicron variant put a damper on both restaurant traffic and employee availability during Darden Restaurants Inc.’s third quarter ended Feb. 27, the Olive Garden parent reported Thursday.

The Orlando, Fla.-based casual-dining company, which also owns LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen and other concepts, suffered especially in January, executives said on a third-quarter earnings call.

Ricardo Cardenas, Darden’s president and chief operating officer, who has been tapped to succeed Gene Lee as CEO when Lee retires in May, said, “our biggest staffing challenge during the quarter was managing the impacts of team member and manager exclusions due to Omicron.”

Cardenas said, at the peak, team member exclusions in January were...

Create a free account or login

This content is available for registered users

Already have an account?

About the Author

Ron Ruggless

Senior Editor, Nation’s Restaurant News / Restaurant Hospitality

Ron Ruggless serves as a senior editor for Informa Connect’s Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN.com) and Restaurant Hospitality (Restaurant-Hospitality.com) online and print platforms. He joined NRN in 1992 after working 10 years in various roles at the Dallas Times Herald newspaper, including restaurant critic, assistant business editor, food editor and lifestyle editor. He also edited several printings of the Zagat Dining Guide for Dallas-Fort Worth, and his articles and photographs have appeared in Food & Wine, Food Network and Self magazines. 

Ron Ruggless’ areas of expertise include foodservice mergers, acquisitions, operations, supply chain, research and development and marketing. 

Ron Ruggless is a frequent moderator and panelist at industry events ranging from the Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators (MUFSO) conference to RestaurantSpaces, the Council of Hospitality and Restaurant Trainers, the National Restaurant Association’s Marketing Executives Group, local restaurant associations and the Horeca Professional Expo in Madrid, Spain.

Ron Ruggless’ experience:

Regional and Senior Editor, Informa Connect’s Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality (1992 to present)

Features Editor – Dallas Times Herald (1989-1991)

Restaurant Critic and Food Editor – Dallas Times Herald (1987-1988)

Editing Roles – Dallas Times Herald (1982-1987)

Editing Roles – Charlotte (N.C.) Observer (1980-1982)

Editing Roles – Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald (1978-1980)

Email: [email protected]

Social media:

Twitter@RonRuggless

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ronruggless

Instagram: @RonRuggless

TikTok: @RonRuggless

 

Subscribe Nation's Restaurant News Newsletters
Get the latest breaking news in the industry, analysis, research, recipes, consumer trends, the latest products and more.