Olive Garden to open in September

ALBANY, Ga. — The Olive Garden restaurant near The Albany Mall is scheduled to open Sept. 10.

The parking lot and sidewalks, still under construction, will be completed soon, according to Kevin Young, superintendent of Ganaway contracting, a construction firm from Alpharetta.

According to Tara Gray, manager for media and communications at Olive Garden corporate offices, Kenneth Hall will serve as general manager for the new restaurant, with servers and kitchen help soon to be selected. The Albany Olive Garden will generate 180 new local jobs.

“The 7,441 square-foot facility will host up to 246 guests and features a design inspired by traditional farmhouses found in Tuscany, Italy,” Gray said.

Olive Garden has been on the “most wanted” list of many residents for a number of years. In February , Darden, parent company of Olive Garden and other restaurant brands including Red Lobster, Longhorn Steakhouse and Bahama Breeze, began demolition of The Inn at Albany Mall, which it had purchased, to make way for the new restaurant.

According to Gray, Olive Garden is the leading restaurant in the Italian dining segment with more than 750 restaurants, 90,000 employees and $3.5 billion in annual sales.