The restaurant world is ever-changing, with diners seeking more affordable, lighter options that fit their budget and health-consciousness. Olive Garden has made a big change to their menu that feeds this desire. Their new Smaller Portions fare features seven of the classic Olive Garden dishes people know and love, but with a smaller portion, a smaller price tag and fewer calories.
Darden Restaurant Inc., the parent company of Olive Garden, announced the new menu would roll out at about 40% of their locations, with slight price variations depending on the area. Darden’s CEO, Rick Cardenas, stated that testing a lighter portion menu is “strengthening affordability”, and assured the portion sizes are still “abundant” and feels the menu upgrade will be a traffic driver for the restaurant, as reported by Market Watch.
Olive Garden Drops Smaller Portions Menu at Select Locations
This menu, which has already rolled out at select Olive Garden locations, features Chicken Parmigiana, Lasagna Classico, Spaghetti & Meatballs, Fettuccine Alfredo, Five Cheese Ziti al Forno, Cheese Ravioli and Eggplant Parmigiana. Prices start at $12.99, and for comparison, their traditional Fettuccine Alfredo runs for $16.49. The Smaller Portions menu is available after 3pm Monday through Friday and all day on Saturdays and Sundays.
The rest of the Olive Garden menu remains the same at this time. The Smaller Portions menu is simply an add-on. The restaurant will continue to offer their Lunch-Sized Favorites menu until 3pm.
Related: Tyson Foods to Remove This Controversial Ingredient From Products by End of 2025
Cardenas understands the restaurant may see a smaller check size in general if customers order from the Smaller Portions menu, but believes in offering what the guests want. “The initial response from guests has been encouraging with affordability scores increasing 15 percentage portions and high satisfaction with portion size”, Cardenas stated, as reported by National Restaurant News.
And if you’re wondering, the Smaller Portions menu items are indeed served with Olive Garden’s signature bottomless salad and breadsticks. To see if your nearest Olive Garden location is offering the special menu, simply visit their website, choose a location and view the menu.
Related: Shake Shack Just Expanded to the Most Unexpected Location—Here’s Where
