Olive Garden is a mature band that is involved in catering services and it’s no longer begging for space up there. Last year the brand initiated several fresh menu lists, a “Dinner Today & Tomorrow” promotion, and their first television advertising campaign in 10 years.
The returns from those changes weren’t as big as the company had expected. At least not in the immediate term. So, during Darden’s last earnings call, the company promised to continue to revamp its three biggest brands, including Olive Garden.
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The Chain’s Uniforms
The Orlando-based company had announced recently, that the Olive Garden was “cutting ties” from its uniform. The new uniforms are completely black-colored wear. It consists of black button-down shirts, black pants (or skirts), and black aprons. The new standard uniform applies to all 50,000 Olive Garden hosts and servers.
The New outfit is intended to replace the uniform they have used for 30 years consecutively: a whiten, button-down shirt, black pants, and colorful ties.
“Guests have told us the all-black look is more current and casually sophisticated,” said Dan Kiernan, the company’s executive vice president of operations. “Our service team members are excited about this change as well, which we think will help them deliver an even better dining experience for our guests.”
Furthermore, the result gathered from the service employee’s perspective says, they feel more comfortable going to work without a tie on.
This year, Nation’s Restaurant News’ Menu Tracker showcased new items from different restaurants like KFC, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and more. Buffalo Wings & Rings introduced three chicken sandwiches of its own, and Firehouse Subs has a new chicken gyro.
Every year, Nation’s Restaurant News ranks the largest restaurant chains by domestic system-wide sales, giving a detailed look at the biggest players in the industry. This year, we partnered with Data essential and its Firefly data platform to provide information for 500 chains — more than ever before.
What is Olive Garden Uniform?
The olive garden uniform is the black-colored wear used by the Olive Garden waiters and waitresses.
Olive Garden provides servers with black aprons while the waiter or waitress is expected to buy other parts of the Olive Garden uniform themselves.
Buying comfortable, durable, easy to care for inexpensive clothing is a good idea since this apparel will only be worn every day he is on shift. All the servers must put on black button shirts, black socks, black pants or black cargo skirts, and black non-slip shoes.
Read more about Olive Garden career https://jobs.olivegarden.com/creative/about
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Dress Code Tips for Waiter/ Waitress at Olive Garden
1. The shirt must be neatly tucked all the time; the shirt’s top button can be left open with that said tie is no longer a part of olive’s uniform code.
2. The work involves the waiter/ waitress bending and stretching a lot; that’s why it’s advisable to look for stretchable bottoms.
3. If you at all want to wear a belt with your outfit, make sure it is a black color.
4. Make sure to buy moisture-wicking and easy-care stain release clothes.
Since the inception of Olive Garden in 1982, it has not changed its uniform till August this year. The week was a good one for servers who hates ties and love to wear black. The servers are finally free from ties that will constantly escape into the oily greasy surfaces and get all their uniforms stained.
Hostesses will wear black dresses and skirts, while the servers will wear black collared shirts. Also, As Olive Garden’s executive vice president for operations, Dan Kiernan explains, “We wanted a significant change, and black is the opposite of white.”
The new dress code does not stop them from following the rules:
The shirts must remain tucked in and only the top button may remain unbuttoned.
Servers must also wear green buttons that read “Hospitality.” However, despite those rules, Olive Garden employees are quite excited about the changes. One employee tells Businessweek, “Everyone looks more dignified, classy, and clean. … We resemble a much more upscale dining establishment.”
Others have taken to Twitter cheering the end of the ties, and writing things like writing, “Today was the last day for that heinous Olive Garden uniform. Thank you, baby Jesus.” Free at last.
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What You Need to Know About The Olive Garden Dress Code
Olive Garden is an American casual restaurant chain that specializes in Italian-American cuisines, and it’s currently operating in 900 regions worldwide. It serves several types of Italian cuisine, covering steaks, salads, and pasta dishes.
The all-black from top to bottom is more elegant and easier to maintain for work requiring dishes immersed in tomato sauce. Basic black looks clean and outstanding in the crowd.
The Bottom Line
Olive Garden uniform is an all-black color that makes the hostesses and the waiters/waitresses stand out in the crowd. Despite the oppressive rules, the employees are still glad that they now have uniforms that are pretty much comfortable and elegant in the crowd.
