Olive Garden Revives $100 Pasta Pass: How Restaurants Are Luring Customers

Darden Restaurants' Olive Garden is bringing back its iconic Pasta Pass, which hasn't been sold since 2019. The 13-week unlimited pasta subscription for $100 is being offered to 10,000 customers, maintaining its price despite inflation.

■Pasta Passes typically sell out in minutes.

■In 2019, 24,000 passes were sold at $100 each, now reduced to 10,000.

■Olive Garden's Q4 sales grew by 2.4%, missing expectations of 3.2%.

■McDonald's, Subway, and Applebee's are also offering value packages, reflecting a broader trend in the restaurant sector.

■Restaurant traffic declined every month in 2025 except July, which saw a 0.1% increase.

■March-August traffic dipped 2.3% due to rising gas prices.

The revival underscores the restaurant sector's continued focus on loyalty-driven campaigns to retain customers amid downturns. Olive Garden's strategy highlights the industry's efforts to maintain customer engagement through value-driven promotions.