The well-known American dining chain Olive Garden is making its way back to Ottawa, with a new spot opening in Westboro this summer.
Recipe Restaurant Group, based in Vaughan, Ontario, and owner of popular restaurants like Montana’s, Swiss Chalet, and East Side Mario’s, announced on Thursday that they are moving forward with expanding the Olive Garden brand throughout Canada.
In July 2025, Recipe took over the eight existing Olive Garden locations in Canada from Darden Restaurants Inc., agreeing to broaden the brand’s reach across the nation.
The first new Olive Garden restaurants under this agreement will open at Vaughan Mills in Vaughan and in Ottawa’s Westboro neighborhood. These spots are expected to launch in summer 2026; however, specific addresses have not been shared yet.
“With these upcoming openings, we’re taking an important step in expanding Olive Garden’s footprint into new Canadian markets,” Frank Hennessey, CEO of Recipe Restaurant Group, said in a news release. “This expansion reflects our confidence in the brand, the strength of our partnership with Darden, and our ability to execute thoughtfully and strategically across Canada.”
The company stated that these new locations represent a significant achievement for growing Olive Garden’s presence beyond western Canada. They also mentioned that other sites are currently being planned as Recipe works on establishing a long-term development strategy across the country.
Darden had previously expanded the Olive Garden brand into Ontario during the 1990s with two outlets in Ottawa. However, by the end of that decade, Darden closed its 11 Ontario locations.
Matthew Jackson, vice president at real estate firm CBRE located in Toronto, believes Olive Garden has great potential for success in eastern Canada.
“There’s a huge market to tap into in Eastern Canada where there’s a large population that generally knows about Olive Garden and likely has fond memories of dining there,” Jackson noted in a blog post on CBRE’s website last September. “There’s pent-up demand and nostalgia for this type of restaurant so it’s a good time for Olive Garden to make a comeback.”
He added that the chain’s focus on value could give it an edge over competitors. “The value segment is thriving right now because people want to get the most bang for their buck. That’s also why we’re seeing chains like Dollarama, Value Village, Maxi and No Frills do so well.”
While he acknowledged that retail vacancies across Canada are relatively low which might hinder Olive Garden’s expansion efforts here, he believes Recipe will still be able to find new locations.
“The retail market is very strong right now,” Jackson mentioned. “There’s a lack of new product being built; there’s lots of competition for space and landlords are asking top dollar. But Recipe Unlimited’s solid reputation should help them secure deals.”
Jackson went on to say that if Olive Garden focuses more on suburban areas instead of city centers they could see greater success. “Going urban would be unlikely because lease rates are high and that’s not where key customers for Olive Garden usually go,” he explained further.
