A CHANGE at Olive Garden has been branded “terrible for the food industry” in an extraordinary swirl of brand backlash.
Olive Garden have been heavily criticized online for the move, which has even left employees “scared” it will happen to them.
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A change at Olive Garden has been branded “terrible for the food industry” in an extraordinary swirl of brand backlashCredit: Getty
The iconic US chain has recently made a change to what the employees need to wear as uniform, and it has not gone down well.
Last month, one employee revealed that they are now being forced to wear white button up shirts to work.
The main question posted on a Reddit thread asked: “If your store is like mine and implementing the new uniform change soon, where are you getting your white button ups?”
But the seemingly sincere question sparked a wave of anger from those calling out the decision making from Olive Garden.
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One person commented: “White shirts are terrible for the food industry.”
Another replied directly to this comment: “Especially for pasta sauce.”
COMPLAINTS CONTINUE
The thread was populated by a lot of Olive Garden employees sharing their wisdom.
A Reddit user responded to the question, and in the process emphasized the issue with staining the white t-shirts.
They wrote: “Before the went to the black uniforms they had white shirts, black pants, and white apron.
“I used to get my white shirts from JCPENNEY. White sucks.
The Secret to Olive Garden Breadsticks
“They get stained so bad. Black didn’t have a problem.”
Some saw the problem as so bad they revealed they were “scared” it would happen at their restaurant.
The employee noted: “No don’t tell me that I’m scared it’ll happen at mine.”
It is unclear why Olive Garden has made the change, and if it will eventually be rolled out to all of their locations in the US.
Right now, it is unclear, as one Olive Garden worker claimed his store is promising a switch to white, too.
The US Sun has reached out to Olive Garden for a statement.
BYE BYE BAHAMA BREEZE
Olive Garden has been struggling recently, and just gave employees another shock by revealing it was closing a third of its Bahama Breeze spots this month.
The US Sun reported on the announcement as the chain saw a a 7.7% sales decline in 2024.
Bahama Breeze is notably owned by by Olive Garden owner Darden Restaurants, and has been around since 1996.
Restaurant closures in 2025
Denny’s – Denny’s has confirmed that up to 150 locations are set to close in the US by the end of the year as many of them are no longer profitable.
Red Lobster – The chain has said that it plans to close over 100 stores across the country this year as new CEO Damola Adamolekun takes over.
TGI Friday’s – TGI Friday’s is still being forced to shutter locations thanks to a bankruptcy filing, including 30 in April alone.
Applebee’s – This chain is projecting a loss of 20 to 35 Applebee’s spots in 2025 but is teaming up with IHOP to introduce dual-branded locations with a curated menu of the two’s best items.
Noodles & Company – This emporium is set to close between 17 and 21 locations in 2025 following a difficult 2024.
Before these closures, Bahama Breeze had expanded to about 43 spots nationwide by 2014.
Bahama Breeze has decided to axe at least 15 locations, which makes up about a third of its total footprint.
Kiara Buckner, a spokesperson for Bahama Breeze, said: “Closing a restaurant is a difficult choice because it impacts our team members and guests.
“However, we believe this is the right decision because it will allow Bahama Breeze to focus on its highest performing restaurants and strengthen the brand’s overall performance.”
The locations impacted include Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, and Tennessee.
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Last month, one employee revealed that they are now being forced to wear white button up shirts to workCredit: GETTY