As Americans continue to watch their spending, Olive Garden is responding with a new menu option aimed squarely at affordability. Beginning in January 2026, the restaurant chain will roll out a new section featuring smaller portions at lower prices across all of its U.S. locations.
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Smaller portions, lower prices
Seven popular dishes will be offered in lighter portions, priced between $12.99 and $13.99. The items are:
Chicken Parmigiana
Eggplant Parmigiana
Lasagna Classico
Five Cheese Ziti al Forno
Cheese Ravioli
Spaghetti & Meatballs
Fettuccine Alfredo.
The new options are designed to give customers more flexibility without eliminating full-size entrees.
What customer research showed
Olive Garden’s parent company, Darden Restaurants, said the change is driven by consumer feedback and testing.
CEO Rick Cardenas said customers who ordered from the lighter portions menu reported higher affordability satisfaction — and were more likely to return.
”Olive Garden has seen a double-digit increase in affordability perceptions from guests who order from the lighter portions menu and an increase in frequency among these guests, which should help build traffic over time,” Cardenas said in an earnings call.
Fast rollout nationwide
The lighter portions menu will be available at all Olive Garden locations starting in January, a relatively quick rollout by restaurant industry standards.
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Olive Garden, which specializes in Italian cuisine, operates nearly 900 restaurants nationwide.
The company began testing the concept last fall at about 40% of its restaurants, according to Fox Business. Cardenas said strong customer demand accelerated the timeline.
“It’s doing so well and delivery is doing so well, we just decided to keep going,“ he said.
The new menu options will not replace Olive Garden’s existing entrees. Cardenas emphasized that portion sizes across the restaurant will remain generous.
“These items, available at dinner and all day during the weekend, still offer abundant portions and come with Olive Garden’s never-ending first course of unlimited breadsticks and unlimited soup or salad,“ he said.
Broader pressures on dining habits
Affordability has been a growing issue for consumers throughout 2025. According to CNN, U.S. wage growth has slowed to its weakest pace since 2021, narrowing the gap between pay increases and inflation.
While average wages rose 3.5% over the past year, middle-income households saw gains of about 2.3% and low-income households saw just a 1.4% increase, the network reported, citing the Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
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Restaurants are also adjusting to changing eating habits tied to the rise of weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy. These GLP-1 medications are known to suppress appetite, leading to a desire for smaller portion sizes.
Fortune magazine reports that half of GLP-1 users surveyed said they are dining out less, while 70% said they are cooking at home more often.
Looking ahead
Olive Garden is currently in the middle of a five-year growth, following the loss of its long-held title as America’s top casual dining chain to Texas Roadhouse earlier this year.
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