Olive Garden is bringing back its popular Never-Ending Pasta Pass for the first time since 2019, giving fans the chance to enjoy unlimited pasta meals for 13 weeks with a one-time payment of $100.
The restaurant chain announced that 10,000 Pasta Passes will go on sale at 2 pm ET on July 16 through PastaPass.com. The limited-edition offer has developed a loyal following over the years, with previous editions selling out within minutes.
What is the concept?
The Never-Ending Pasta Pass grants holders access to 13 weeks of unlimited Never-Ending Pasta Bowl meals.
According to Olive Garden, the pass includes:
- Unlimited pasta for 13 weeks
- Choice of homemade sauces
- Protein toppings
- Unlimited soup or salad
- Unlimited breadsticks
Passholders will also receive early access to the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl promotion beginning Aug 24, one week before it opens nationwide.
The wider promotion will run from Aug 31 through Nov 22, with meals starting at $14.99 for customers without the pass. Guests enrolled in Olive Garden’s EClub will also receive Aug 24 early access.
What’s new this year?
Olive Garden said diners can choose from 120 different combinations of pasta, sauces and toppings during this year’s promotion. The menu also introduces two new options: Spicy Alfredo sauce and Crispy Shrimp Fritta, expanding the available choices.
The promotion first launched in 2014 and became one of Olive Garden’s most sought-after offers. It has not been available since 2019.
According to Jaime Bunker, Olive Garden’s Senior Vice President of Marketing, customers have continued asking for the pass every year.
“Bringing it back felt like the right way to recognize the loyalty of so many guests who have kept it top of mind all these years,” Bunker said in a statement.
Demand is expected to be high again. According to Axios, all 24,000 Pasta Passes released in 2019 sold out in “milliseconds.”
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Is it worth buying?
The answer largely depends on how often you plan to dine at Olive Garden.
According to Axios, the $100 pass typically becomes cost-effective after about seven visits. Earlier versions of the promotion lasted eight weeks, but this year’s pass extends the offer to 13 weeks, giving customers more time to use it.
The return of the Pasta Pass also comes as Olive Garden’s parent company, Darden Restaurants, looks to boost customer traffic. Olive Garden reported 2.4% same-store sales growth in its latest quarter, while sister chain LongHorn Steakhouse posted stronger growth of 9.5%, according to company figures.
With only 10,000 passes available, customers hoping to secure one may need to act quickly before the limited supply sells out.
