Social media went a little berserk over the past few days with a circle-back to and old friend of yours and mine... Rumours of Olive Garden eyeing the Wheat City for a restaurant.
Though I enjoy my stop-ins at their Winnipeg restaurants as much as the next person, I try my best to when I can avoid trafficking in said rumour when it comes to this site and our market. When gossip on the topic gains a certain amount of traction however I do like to look into further to help get to the bottom and sort fact from fiction.
In contact with a communications spokesperson for Olive Garden this morning Iâve been told that there are no current plans to open a Brandon restaurant.
On research via the store locator on its website, Olive Garden shows two Winnipeg locations. There are none in Saskatchewan and none in Alberta outside of Calgary and Edmonton. Generally my litmus test in discussions regarding potential store openings is to observe which are in slightly larger prairie Canadian markets such as Red Deer, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and perhaps Prince Albert and Moose Jaw. Olive Garden has no restaurant in any of the above. Confusion often comes from the fact that they have locations stateside in centres such as Minot, Grand Forks and Bismarck.
As has been learned many times in recent years, without there necessarily being a fact-check it doesnât take much for rumours to take flight on social media. As much as I believe strongly in the value of discussion I feel itâs important for it to be as grounded in fact as possible and for there to be a clear distinction between rumour/hope and fact. If you ever hear of a rumour thatâs circulating that you think justifies a facts-based exploration with the relevant players, donât hesitate to drop me a note.
So as to presumably never completely close the door, the same spokesperson for Olive Garden that I exchanged messages with did however say that opportunities are always being sought. Those words are a long way from there being plans, short-term or long, but may be just enough to keep the dream alive for folks that enjoy the Italian kitchenâs blend of food and dining experience.
Photo credit: Olive Garden