Bismarck’s Olive Garden will soon be opening, but is this much desired restaurant what Bismarck truly needs? For over a decade, Bismarck citizens have mostly wished for one restaurant to come to their city, Olive Garden.
Ever since the announcement of Olive Garden officially coming to Bismarck, people can’t stop talking about the opening of this Italian-theme restaurant. Bismarck already has other Italian restaurants, most notably Carino’s and DiDonnas, so what does the city need with another?
I’ve asked just that question to those who have greatly anticipated the opening of Olive Garden. “Unlimited Soup, Salad, and Breadsticks,” is the most common answer I receive. So, apparently, people have been begging for a restaurant that serves soup, salad, and breadsticks – not as if you can’t find that elsewhere.
If history means anything, you can expect long lines at the Olive Garden, with waits well over an hour for the first months following its opening. But, will it last? People always want what they do not have, but the true test is if they will still want it once they have it.
Lately Bismarck residents have been rewarded with the national chains they’ve been wishing for in years. Of those, national retailer Home Depot and regional restaurant chain Green Mill have since left the city. No one could stop talking about these two establishments upon their arrival as well. Could their fate be the same as Olive Garden?
Clearly the opening of Olive Garden will meet with excited anticipation. Based on BismarckPride.com’s web statistics, one of the highest volume of search terms bringing visitors to the website has been that of the Olive Garden’s opening.
Can Olive Garden survive the competition, or will it have the same fate as Green Mill and Home Depot? Only time will tell.
