WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Olive Garden is bringing back its popular Never Ending Pasta Pass for the first time since 2019, reviving one of its most sought-after promotions as restaurants increasingly use subscription-style offers to attract value-conscious diners.
The restaurant chain will offer 10,000 Pasta Passes for $100 each, plus tax, beginning July 16 at 2 p.m. ET. Each pass provides 13 weeks of unlimited Never Ending Pasta Bowl meals, including endless pasta, homemade sauces, protein toppings, soup or salad, and breadsticks. Guests can choose from 120 meal combinations, with new additions this year including Spicy Alfredo sauce and Crispy Shrimp Fritta.
First introduced in 2014 with just 1,000 passes, the promotion quickly became a fan favorite, with every release selling out almost instantly. The last offering in 2019 saw all 24,000 passes claimed within milliseconds, according to the company.
Olive Garden said customer demand played a key role in bringing the promotion back. Jaime Bunker, the chain's senior vice president of marketing, said the continued enthusiasm showed the Pasta Pass had become more than a promotion it had become part of the brand's identity.
The company estimates pass holders can recover the purchase price after about seven visits. During previous eight-week promotions, customers averaged 10 visits, while this year's pass extends the offer to 13 weeks, giving diners more opportunities to maximize its value.
Customers who are unable to purchase a Pasta Pass can still enjoy the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl promotion, which returns nationwide from Aug. 31 through Nov. 22, with prices starting at $14.99. EClub members and Pasta Pass holders will receive early access beginning Aug. 24.
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