Olive Garden is offering its first-ever "Never Ending Pasta Pass," which gives customers the right to consume unlimited pasta, salad, bread and Coca-Cola soft drinks for seven weeks. (Olive Garden)
If you thought one night of never ending pasta wasn’t enough, try seven weeks.
The Olive Garden is rolling out its first-ever “Never Ending Pasta Pass,” – a $100 card that lets carbophiles gorge on pasta, salad, bread and Coca-Cola drinks for almost two months.
This comes one year after the chain, known for its large portions and all-you-eat deals, tired pushing healthier fare in tapas-style portions, and comes amid a drop of 1.3 percent in sales.
The Never Ending Pasta Pass promotion runs from Sept. 22 through Nov. 9. and coincides with its annual "Never Ending Pasta Bowl" promotion, which is $9.99 for one night of endless pasta pleasure.
The pasta pass comes with a few restrictions, that go beyond your waistband. For example, there is no sharing of plates.
"What we're trying to do is get some attention," Jay Spenchian, executive vice president of marketing, told USA Today. "It's sure to provoke a reaction."
Mission accomplished. Since the announcement, fans and nutritionists have been tweeting their excitement and appalled disapproval.
If you’re in the mood for pasta for the next 49 days and nights, you need to act fast. Only a 1,000 of the Pasta Passes will be sold online via Olive Garden’s website starting at 3 p.m. EST today.
Maybe they should offer a discounted gym membership, too.
Fun stories about food, relationships, the great outdoors and more.