Olive Garden continues its radical turnaround by introducing delectable sandwiches made from its signature breadsticks. The breadsticks were one part of the Olive Garden menu that has worked even in tough times — the restaurant won loyalty by giving away an unending supply to diners. The big Olive Garden turnaround is smart to use a tried-and-true element to innovate in the space it needs to compete in — smaller meals, with a lunch focus.
Olive Garden will start with two simple favorites — the meatball parmigiana breadstick sandwich and the chicken parmigiana breadstick sandwich. Olive Garden wants to compete with Chick-fil-A and higher-end burger places like Five Guys that have supplanted McDonald’s by offering tastier, but only slightly more expensive fare, a swift dining environment.
