| John Mitty Tuesday, January 22, 2013 |
Olive Garden opened at 610 W. Sunrise Hwy. in Valley Stream, N.Y. on Monday, Jan. 21— creating 180 new jobs. The Olive Garden in Valley Stream is the newest Olive Garden in the family of more than 800 local restaurants committed to providing every guest with a genuine Italian dining experience.
The 8,500 square-foot restaurant can host up to 305 guests and features a design that is inspired by traditional farmhouses found in Tuscany, Italy. Olive Garden design teams traveled to Italy to work with Italian architects Fabio and Lucia Zingarelli and the result is a restaurant design that recreates the warmth and simple beauty of a Tuscan farmhouse.
The Valley Stream Olive Garden has a rustic stone exterior, typical of the buildings in the Italian countryside, and an interior accented by Italian imports designed to make the dining experience here a tribute to the restaurant’s Italian inspiration. Ceilings supported by exposed wood beams, stone and wood accents throughout, and terra cotta tile highlight the interior.
In addition, the bar top is crafted from lava stone and hand-painted by artisans in Italy with a design created exclusively for Olive Garden. Vibrant imported fabrics decorate windows and dining seats, while hand-painted plates, adorn rustic stone and stucco walls.
The restaurant also will feature a number of sustainable design elements, including recycled building materials, enlarged windows to increase natural light, low-water landscaping and energy-efficient equipment. These enhancements are part of the Sustainable Restaurant Design initiative launched by Darden Restaurants, Olive Garden’s parent company.
“I’m honored to have the opportunity to lead the Valley Stream restaurant and a great team at Olive Garden,” said Chris Forrester, newly named general manager. “In addition to our Italian specialties, including signature items like our homemade soups, garden fresh salad and warm, garlic breadsticks, the menu at the Valley Stream Olive Garden features a variety of Italian favorites and new offerings, such as our 3-Course Italian Dinner. Now through March 17, guests can enjoy an abundant and delicious three-course meal for only $12.95. Guests choose from five delicious entrées, along with unlimited soup or salad, and one of three decadent desserts.”
Forrester has been in the restaurant industry for 25 years, most recently as general manager of the Olive Garden located at 1246 Old Country Road in Westbury. Forrester received a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant administration from the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, Nev.
To recognize Forrester’s role as head of the Olive Garden family in Valley Stream and to emphasize the importance the company places on its general managers, Olive Garden honored Forrester by setting his name in stone. Travertine marble imported from Tuscany was chiseled with Forrester’s name and placed prominently by the restaurant’s front door.
Olive Garden is now accepting applications for employment. To be considered for an interview, please apply online at www.OliveGarden.com/Careers.
Olive Garden is the leading restaurant in the Italian dining segment with more than 800 restaurants, more than 90,000 employees and more than $3.5 billion in annual sales. Olive Garden is a member of the Darden family of restaurants (NYSE:DRI), the world’s largest full-service restaurant operating company. In 2012, Darden was named to the FORTUNE “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for the second year in a row and is the only full-service restaurant company to ever appear on the list. Olive Garden is committed to making a difference in the lives of others in the local community. As part of this commitment, the Valley Stream Olive Garden will participate in the Darden Harvest program, which has donated more than 50 million pounds of food to local community food banks across the country. For more information, visit www.olivegarden.com.
jmitty@longislandyellowpages.com Appears In: Press Releases
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