Olive Garden Once Revealed It Served An Astonishing Number Of Breadsticks Every Day

Breadsticks have become symbolic of the Olive Garden experience. Landing near the top of our list of chain restaurant breadsticks, Olive Garden's endless servings of pillowy garlic butter bread are synonymous with the chain. Since 1982, when the offering was originally intended to distract customers from extended wait times, the long-standing feature has endured. The chain serves a whopping 675 million to 700 million breadsticks each year, according to a 2014 Washington Post article, though the figure may have grown since. That's nearly 2 million breadsticks a day.

"My restaurant was high volume," wrote one employee on Reddit. "We'd have pallet stacks that go at least 10 pallets high and there were up to five stacks at a time." Another employee on the thread confirmed, "I work at a lower volume store, but a produce order would typically get anywhere from 20-30 cases. Each case holds 12 bags, each bag holding 16 breadsticks, that means we usually have at least 6,000 in store at all times."

Other employees on the thread estimate receiving around 20,000 breadsticks weekly, using formulas to predict the amount needed to keep visitors satisfied. "As a manager, we get over 130 cases per week. Each case has 192 sticks," one explained. Another added, "30-40 cases per order, 3 times a week for a 4,700-5,000 guest a week restaurant here."

Nearly a decade ago, investors unsuccessfully looked to revamp the unlimited breadstick offering, stating that Darden Restaurants — Olive Garden's parent company — was simply giving too many away for free and costing the business money in the process. In a presentation by former investor Starboard Value, it specifically mentioned breadsticks as an example of food waste, accusing managers of not limiting how many breadsticks are initially placed at the table to approximately one per customer.

Yet unlimited breadsticks have remained a staple feature, even being identified as a factor in making Olive Garden one of the most profitable brands in the Darden Restaurants portfolio. And customers agree. "I have always enjoyed eating their breadsticks and they're just so good to eat. I just cannot stop eating them," wrote a fan on Instagram. Fans have even devised hacks like stuffing the breadsticks or turning them into croutons to make the most out of the bottomless offering. Whether used to sop up the remains of Olive Garden hidden gems like anicotti or shrimp carbonara or munch on alongside Olive Garden appetizers, these breadsticks are in hot demand and don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. "I feel like I'm already thinking about the next breadstick before I've even taken a bite," wrote another customer on Instagram.