Olive Garden restaurants were opened by General Mills on December 13, 1982 in Orlando, Florida. The restaurant was named “The Green Frog” and soon became the fastest growing unit in the company’s chain of restaurants out selling their well-know restaurant Red Lobster. It was not long before the restaurant became the largest chain of Italian-themed full-service restaurants in the United States. The restaurant soon became known as Olive Garden which is owned and operated by Darden Restaurants, Inc. which was a spin off from General Mills in 1995.
There are approximately 700 restaurants in the United States with the Canadian one’s being closed except for a few that are located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Calgary, Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Langley and British Columbia. Some of the restaurants in Canada were converted into what is now called Mario Restaurants. The ambiance of Olive Garden restaurants seeks to replicate an old-world Italian style restaurant.
Hours of Operation: Sun-Thurs: 11:00am-10:00pm; Fri-Sat: 11:00am-11:00pm
Minimum Age to Work Here: 16 years old
Positions Available: Host, Hostess, Bartender, Preparation Cook, Production Cook, Backup Cook, Server Assistant, Busser, Dishwasher, Server, Sales Person, Link Cook, Grill Cook, Alley Coordinator, Utility Worker, Dish Machine Operator, Service Manager, Culinary Manager, Sales Manager, Restaurant Assistant Manager, Restaurant Manager, Manager In Training
Background Check Required? Yes
Negotiation: There is no room for negotiation since the salary has been set already.
Job description/ Average wage
Server: The server is the one who takes the customers orders, delivers them to the cooking staff, and then returns the food to the customer. They must serve the customer salads, entrée’s and any beverages that might be served. When they take orders for alcoholic beverages it is their responsibility to check the ID of the person placing the order to make sure that they are of legal age. The server then will inform the customer of any specials and tempt them with an appetizer. When the order is completed the server asks the customer if they would like to have a dessert. Afterwards the server will then present the customer with their bill for the evening. The average wage for a server is $20,800 a year.
Host/Hostess: The host/hostess is the one who greets the customer when they first enter the restaurant and they will take their name and the number of people in their party to be seated. Then the host/hostess will find proper seating for the guests taking them along with a menu for their convenience. The average wage for this position is $9.30 an hour.
Busser: The busser is the one who clears the tables after the guest has left. They normally take all the dirty dishes away, clean the table tops, and reset them for future customers. They must be friendly as they are working out with the general public. In many cases they take the dirty dishes back to the dishwasher to be cleaned for use. The average wage for a busser is $7.19 an hour.
Benefits
- Health Insurance that starts from day one with only a $100 deductible and it also includes a dental plan.
- Eye Care with discounts on frames, contact lenses and your exams.
- Education: Learn to speak Italian or any other language. They also offer low interest educational loans for you or any family member through their ConSern Student Loan Program.
- Vacation after one year and two weeks paid vacation after three years of work.
- They also offer you the Darden 401 (k) plan to help you save for your retirement
Atmosphere and Perks
Olive Garden is one of the best choices especially for employees who wanted to work in an environment that is not only challenging but enjoyable as well. The Olive Garden offers generous salary options and extensive benefits like paid training and flexible work week. Eligible employees will also receive comprehensive medical and vision coverage, life insurance, dependent life insurance, and long term care insurance. If you want to improve professionally, you can consider this place to be among the top choices.
Interview Questions
Can you name some of your favorite restaurants?
In your previous work, do you get any perks such as free food or meals?
How do you deal with difficult customers?
How flexible is your time?
Can you work late nights or weekends?
How will you handle the situation if you are in conflict with your manager?
Can you explain what is quality customer service?
Can you handle irate customers?
What are your skills and abilities that will serve as the best reasons of hiring you?
How long will you be working here?
Interview Tips
Olive Garden conducts professional in-person interviews, or through the phone. The interview schedule usually happens after two weeks of submitting your application. When you are contacted for an interview, make sure be professionally dressed. Show your confidence in answering questions which will often cover about your previous work experiences, questions regarding your ability in line with work, you ability to deal with other and to also gauge your behavior to note if they are suited to the company or not. Demonstrate your skills and abilities and make sure to answer questions tactfully. The hiring manger will also be attracted to positive and energetic personality; thus, show that you are best suited for the job.
How to apply
You can apply for these positions and many others by visiting their website at: http://www.olivegarden.com/employment
Please feel free to stop in at your local Olive Garden and apply in person for available positions in your neighborhood.