After months of anticipation, Olive Garden is officially set to open its first Ottawa restaurant in more than two decades this week.
The popular American casual dining chain will welcome customers beginning Tuesday at its new location at 675 Kirkwood Ave. in Westboro, taking over the former East Side Mario’s and D’Arcy McGee’s space in Hampton Park Plaza.
The opening marks the restaurant’s return to Ottawa after its previous locations closed in the late 1990s.
As previously reported by the Kitchissippi Times, the Ottawa location is one of two new Ontario restaurants being launched by Recipe Restaurant Group, which acquired the Canadian rights to expand the Olive Garden brand last year after purchasing its eight western Canadian locations from U.S.-based Darden Restaurants.
“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, said when the expansion was first announced. “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.”
Yianni Fountas, chief operating officer of Olive Garden Canada at Recipe, previously said the company hopes the new restaurants will provide “the consistency and value that guests expect from Olive Garden” while creating “a strong foundation for the brand’s continued growth in Canada.”
Known for its unlimited breadsticks, soup and salad, Olive Garden first entered the Canadian market in the 1990s, but its Ontario locations eventually closed. The chain maintained a presence in Western Canada before Recipe announced plans for a broader national expansion earlier this year.
Recipe has said additional Olive Garden locations are in various stages of planning across Canada, though no further Ottawa restaurants have been announced.
With demand expected to be strong, reservations cannot be made at this time. A full menu can also be found online.
“Because we are expecting strong demand during our opening, we recommend planning for a wait. At launch, we will not be offering a remote waitlist, so seating will be managed entirely on a first-come, first-served basis,” the restaurant wrote. “Please plan to join the line in person, and rest assured our team will do everything they can to get you seated as quickly as possible.”