Latest news with #poolnoodles
Entrepreneur
11-07-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Olive Garden Pool Noodles, Pasta-Shaped Floats Sell Out
In June, Olive Garden began selling pool noodles shaped like some of their most popular pastas. And if you were lucky enough to snag one, you may have picked up a sound investment — the pool floats are selling for almost double on resale sites. The pasta-shaped pool noodles were available in three designs: Floatin' Fettuccine, Relaxin' Rigatoni, and Takin' It Easy Tortelloni. Each sold for $40 and came with an additional piece of summer-themed branded merchandise — a bucket hat, tote bag, or floating drink holder. "Olive Garden has always been known for going big — big portions, big value, and never-ending first courses," said Jaime Bunker, Senior Vice President of Marketing, in a statement at the time of the launch. "This summer, we're bringing that same spirit of abundance to the pool. Our pasta-inspired floats are a larger-than-life way to celebrate the dishes our guests love, and just like in our restaurants, every order starts with a first course." There's currently a tortelloni-shaped float for sale on eBay for $95, and one has already sold somewhere in the $70-$80 range. A fettuccine was listed at $80 (looks like it didn't sell), but another seller in Livonia, Michigan, is selling the same shape for the original price ($39.99). In the exact opposite direction, a different seller has listed one of the free gift-with-purchase items (the pasta-float cup holder) for $30. Entrepreneur has reached out to Olive Garden to see if the promotion will return. Related: People Are Reselling This Trader Joe's Item for $500 Online
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Float on fettuccine: Olive Garden unveils line of pasta-themed pool noodles
If you've ever wanted to float on pasta noodles while relaxing in a pool, now is your time to shine. Olive Garden announced on June 23 it is debuting first-ever line of pasta-themed pool noodles. The collection features items such as Floatin' Fettuccine, Takin' It Easy Tortelloni and Relaxin' Rigatoni, according to the Italian restaurant chain, making them the "perfect accessory for any summer pool party." To celebrate the chain's never-ending breadsticks and soup or salad that accompany every meal, each pool noodle purchase comes with a free "first course" inspired summer item. Customers can choose between a Breadsticks Bucket Hat, Soup-er Summer Vibes Tote Bag or Lettuce Chill Floating Drink Holder, according to a news release. The pool noodles will be available for purchase online at starting Monday, June 30 at 2 p.m. ET, with a limited amount available for eClub members beginning Thursday, June 26 at 10 a.m. ET. According to Olive Garden, each pool noodle and its accompanying "first course" item will be sold for $40 each with free shipping while supplies last. "Olive Garden has always been known for going big — big portions, big value, and never-ending first courses," said Jaime Bunker, Senior Vice President of Marketing, in a news release. "This summer, we're bringing that same spirit of abundance to the pool. Our pasta-inspired floats are a larger-than-life way to celebrate the dishes our guests love, and just like in our restaurants, every order starts with a first course." Olive Garden now has a Spicy Three-Meat Sauce on its Create Your Own Pasta menu, in addition to a newly-added Bucatini, which the company describes as a "thick spaghetti with a hollow center" that allows the pasta to soak up sauce. Starting July 7, customers can get Calabrian Steak and Shrimp Bucatini featuring grilled sirloin tips, shrimp and bucatini pasta tossed in a spicy Calabrian cream sauce with spinach and tomatoes. According to the chain, the sauce blends spicy Calabrian chilis with butter, garlic, white wine, cream and Olive Garden's marinara sauce. The new items will be available until Aug. 25 in-restaurant, to-go and via delivery, the company said. Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Olive Garden debuts pasta-themed pool noodles
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Olive Garden wants you to cool down with its innovative summer offering
Cheesy noodles, saucy noodles, chicken and noodles — they're all staples at Olive Garden stores. Now, the Italian-American pasta chain is hoping you'll spring for a very different kind: a pool noodle. On Monday, the company dropped a limited-edition summer merch line featuring three pool floats shaped like some of its best-selling pasta dishes. They're called the floatin' fettuccine, takin' it easy tortelloni, and relaxin' rigatoni. The $40 floats go on sale to starting June 30 at 2pm ET on Olive Garden's website. But fans who sign up for the brand's free eClub loyalty program can snag early access beginning June 26 at 10am. 'Olive Garden has always been known for going big — big portions, big value, and never-ending first courses,' Jaime Bunker, the senior vice president for the brand, said in a statement emailed to 'This summer, we're bringing that same spirit of abundance to the pool.' The fettuccine-inspired float is flat, letting pool-goers sprawl out across it — like the chicken does on the entrée. Meanwhile, the circular tortelloni and rigatoni floats are designed so you can nestle inside, like a scoop of sauce of cheese. Any pool float purchase includes shipping and a cheeky bonus 'first course' — customers can choose between breadstick-themed bucket hats, soup-inspired totes, and lettuce-decorated floating drink holders. 'I don't know if I'll ever have a pool,' one customer commented on the company's Facebook page, 'but the intense feeling of need I have for the tortellini float cannot be put into words!' Olive Garden is not the first food chain to memorialize its iconic products with a pool-based line. Pop-Tart, Rice Krispie, Eggo, and Cheez-It all released pool toys that look like their snacks products. They're available at Target and Walmart locations for $20. In 2021, Panera launched a lineup of swim trunks and one-piece bathing suits, inspired by its food lineup. One green Panera-inspired swimsuit just said 'SOUP' in block lettering. Olive Garden's recent news Founded in Orlando, Florida in 1982, Olive Garden has grown steadily to be a favorite for family meals. In the restaurant industry, the chain held the top spot in US revenue since 2018. That changed in April. A suddenly resurgent Texas Roadhouse, buoyed by an impressive social media campaign and low menu prices, snatched the revenue crown from the pasta brand for the first time in seven years. Darden, Olive Garden's owner, has rolled out a series of programs to re-energize its sales. Last year, it partnered with DoorDash and UberEats to provide online deliveries to nearby guests. The brand ardently avoided the partnership for years. While Olive Garden still remains profitable, some of its sister restaurants have run into troubles. Bahama Breeze, one of the other Darden Restaurant chains, closed a third of its stores in mid-May.
