"Olive Garden is known for its unlimited breadsticks, which have been a restaurant special since the very beginning - in 1982. That deal still holds up, but the Tour of Italy is another special that has been on the menu for more than 25 years. In the late '90s, the Olive Garden promotion was marketed as the ultimate way to get a taste of all the Italian-American classics: baked lasagna, chicken Parmesan, and fettuccine Alfredo."
"Nearly three decades later, the Tour of Italy is still one of Olive Garden's biggest sellers, only now it's tripled in price. As of 2025, the dish costs about $25, depending on the location in NYC. This era's version still includes the same triad of cheesy favorites; however, eating your body weight in breadsticks is no longer part of the charm. The once bottomless salad and breadsticks portion of the deal has been scaled back to a mere two breadsticks,"
Olive Garden introduced unlimited breadsticks in 1982. The Tour of Italy has been on the menu for more than 25 years and originally paired baked lasagna, chicken Parmesan, and fettuccine Alfredo with unlimited salad and breadsticks for $9.95 in 1997. As of 2025, the Tour of Italy costs about $25 in New York City and still features the same trio of dishes. The promotion no longer includes bottomless breadsticks and salad; the deal now provides two breadsticks and requires customers to choose between salad or soup. Inflation and rising ingredient costs contributed to reduced portions and higher prices.
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