NEW YORK — Olive Garden’s plan to win back customers? Take the breadsticks it’s known for and make sandwiches out of them.
The restaurant chain owned by Darden Restaurants Inc. says it plans to use breadsticks for chicken parmigiana and meatball sandwiches starting June 1.
The addition of the breadstick sandwiches are just the latest attempt to revamp Olive Garden’s menu and marketing after sales at established locations have declined for the past three fiscal years.
Olive Garden’s breadsticks gained attention last year during a dispute with an investor, Starboard Value. Among criticisms, Darden wasn’t being disciplined in its distribution of breadsticks and the quality seemed to have declined, with Starboard comparing them to hot dog buns.
