Olive Garden offers an exclusively pasta-themed menu which can greatly limit the brand in terms of innovative food concepts; however the fast casual eatery is reinventing its presentation by offering several of its famed noodle dishes in a spaghetti pie format. The redesign keeps to the brands pasta-themed chain, while offering diners a new way to experience familiar flavors.
The spaghetti pies are a baked pasta dish that opts for the pasta to be blended with cheese and bacon before it is rolled and cooked in the oven. The pasta hardens slightly to create a firmer noodle dish that is then sliced into wedges and served with different sauces. The baked and cheesy noodle wedges offer an unfamiliar way for consumers to enjoy pasta that experiments with different and unlikely textures.
Fast Casual Spaghetti Pies
Olive Garden is Offering its Famed Pasta Dishes in New Serving Formats
Trend Themes
1. Pasta Pie Craze - There is an opportunity for restaurants to experiment with baked pasta dishes to offer customers new and exciting ways to experience familiar flavors.
2. Innovative Serving Formats - There is an opportunity for restaurants to differentiate themselves from competitors by offering unique presentations for their menu items.
3. Texture-heavy Dishes - There is an opportunity for restaurants to experiment with texture to offer customers a unique twist on familiar dishes.
Industry Implications
1. Restaurant Industry - Restaurants can leverage these trends to attract customers and stand out in a crowded industry.
2. Fast Casual Industry - Fast casual restaurants can use innovative serving formats to attract customers seeking a quick but unique dining experience.
3. Food Manufacturing Industry - Food manufacturers can create new products aimed at consumers seeking texture-heavy dishes and innovative serving formats.