Olive Garden said Thursday it's teaming up with Uber to offer delivery for the first time.
Darden Restaurants , which owns Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and other chains, said Olive Garden will be the first of its brands to offer third-party delivery starting later this year. Individual orders will be picked up and delivered by Uber Direct, a premium delivery service. Olive Garden won't be listed on the broader Uber Eats platform.
If the initial pilot is successful, the delivery option will expand nationwide by May 2025, Darden said.
Darden shares jumped 7% in morning trading Thursday.
The move is a reversal for Orlando, Florida-based Darden, which has long delivered large catering orders itself but has resisted third-party delivery for individual orders in the past. In 2018, Darden's then-President and CEO Gene Lee said the company was testing third-party delivery but was skeptical.
