Retail analyst Bruce Winder mentions that people are looking forward to the new location, but it will need to provide ‘good value’ to attract Canadian diners.
Toronto is about to welcome its first Olive Garden, a well-known Italian-themed restaurant making its comeback to Ontario this summer.
Recipe Restaurant Group International (Recipe), Canada’s biggest full-service restaurant company, shared this news after acquiring all eight existing Canadian restaurants in Western Canada and reaching an agreement with U. S.-based Darden Restaurants.
The company announced in a press release that the initial new Olive Garden will open at Vaughan Mills in Vaughan, Ontario, followed by another location in Ottawa’s Westboro neighborhood.
Recipe indicated that both restaurants are currently under development and are expected to open their doors in summer 2026. These two spots will mark the first Olive Gardens outside of Western Canada. The company noted that other locations are being planned as well.
Recipe Restaurant Group International’s lineup includes popular brands like Swiss Chalet, Harvey’s, Montana’s, New York Fries, Kelsey’s Original Roadhouse and East Side Mario’s, among others.
“With these upcoming openings, we’re taking an important step in expanding Olive Garden’s footprint into new Canadian markets,” Frank Hennessey, chief executive officer of Recipe Restaurant Group stated in the press 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.”
Recipe added that more announcements about future restaurant openings will be made in the coming months. Olive Garden left Ontario back in the 1990s but is known for its endless breadsticks along with its soups and pasta inspired by Italian cuisine.
Retail analyst Bruce Winder from Bruce Winder Retail told Toronto on Tuesday that it’s a challenging time for restaurants due to rising food costs and affordability issues in Ontario pushing customers away.
“There’s a nostalgia and legacy there so it’s something people are interested in,” he mentioned. “[But] they are coming during a really tough time and I think they have to be very careful.”
“It’s a really tough time to manage restaurants right now because of consumer issues and the rising cost of food, labor, utilities, rent and insurance. It’s pretty tough to make a buck in the restaurant business.”
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