Get all the headlines in today’s Restaurant Daily podcast
December 20, 2024
Chefs are stepping out of restaurant kitchens in search of better work-life balance, without abandoning their professions. Restaurant Business spotlights three chefs who have discovered a better way to work outside a restaurant’s four walls.
All-you-can-eat pasta delivered a sales boost for Olive Garden. The chain’s recurring Never-Ending Pasta Bowl promotion contributed to 2% same-store sales growth in the quarter ended Nov. 24. And, in an encouraging sign, a record number of customers opted to pay extra to add protein to their endless pasta, which had a starting price of $13.99.
Meanwhile, Darden Restaurants plans to roll out individual-order delivery, coordinated with Uber Direct, to most of its Olive Garden restaurants after the holidays.
Jersey Mike’s has had a remarkable year. This week, Jersey Mike’s announced it has hit its 3,000-unit milestone with an opening in Mountain Top, Penn. In 2024, the chain has opened a record-breaking 322 locations to date. The company said there are more than 4,000 locations now either open or in some phase of development.
Get all the headlines in today’s Restaurant Daily podcast.
