Drawing from Vanessa’s Olive Garden post, I was engrossed by the restaurant’s unusual focus strategy that is seemingly not working. Yes, it is true that Olive Garden is a well-known Italian restaurant recognised for its nutritious pastas, aiming at health-conscious families. However, its most recent promotion of $100 for 7 weeks of past does not seem to match to its ‘health’ aim.

Counting Calories

Whilst Vanessa argued that Olive Garden’s “everything refillable” strategy might not work due to its pressure on the restaurant’s inventory and table turnover, I inferred that Olive Garden has unfortunately failed in implementing its focus strategy. The restaurants tries to concentrate on a narrow market segment with its unique promotional services – where else can you find an unlimited pasta Italian restaurant?

Nevertheless, this promotion contradicts with the restaurant’s brand image of a ‘healthier-choice’ family restaurant. I mean, why would anyone gorge on carbs on an attempt to get healthy?

Breaking the Buzz 

Well, turns out although this promotion raises many questions and skepticism, Olive Garden has successfully gained customers’ reactions. “If the primary object is to get your money’s worth, it has nothing to do with good nutrition.” Olive Garden might have lost a portion of its health-conscious customers, but they have also gained new customers who give up ‘health’ for getting their money’s worth.

This might only be the restaurant’s short-term marketing strategy, but is it going to have a larger impact on its target market than it initially intended?