New Olive Garden opening on south side of Tucson
New Tuscan farmhouse-designed restaurant is first in the area

TUCSON--Olive Garden will open its newest Tuscan Farmhouse-design restaurant in Tucson at 1213 W. Irvington Road on Monday, Sept. 20.

This is the first Tuscan Farmhouse-design Olive Garden to open in Tucson and second in the state.

Approximately 140 jobs will be created with the opening of the 182-seat, 6,895-square-foot restaurant that also is expected to contribute to the state's restaurant industry growth.

According to the National Restaurant Association's 2004 Industry Forecast, restaurant sales in Arizona are expected to grow 6.5 percent this year.

"As Arizona's second largest city, Tucson supports a rapidly increasing population, which makes it the perfect location for the newest member of Olive Garden's family of local restaurants," said Dave Pickens, executive vice president of operations for Olive Garden.

Tuscan Inspiration

The inspiration for the Tuscan Farmhouse-design is Olive Garden's Riserva di Fizzano restaurant in Tuscany, Italy.

Olive Garden design teams traveled to Italy regularly to work with Italian architects Fabio and Lucia Zingarelli to create a restaurant that authentically recreated the warmth and simple beauty of a farmhouse in Tuscany.

The Olive Garden in Tucson 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.

Soaring vaulted ceilings supported by exposed wood beams, stone and wood accents throughout, and terra cotta tile highlight the interior.

Lava stone bar

The bar top is crafted from lava stone, then hand-painted by artisans in Italy with a design created exclusively for Olive Garden; vibrant imported fabrics decorate windows and dining seats; hand-painted plates, designed by Lucia, adorn rustic stone and stucco walls; the lighting fixtures are all distinctly Italian.

Italian hospitality

"At the Tucson Olive Garden, there is an atmosphere of Italian hospitality," said Kim Lillis, general manager. "We delight our guests with a genuine Italian dining experience through fresh, flavorful food, paired with a great glass of wine."

To recognize Lillis' role as head of the Olive Garden family in Tucson and to emphasize the importance the company places on its general managers, Olive Garden honored Lillis by setting her name in stone. Travertine marble imported from Tuscany was chiseled with Lillis' name and placed prominently by the front door.

Olive Garden is the leading restaurant in the Italian dining segment with 543 restaurants, more than 60,000 employees and $2 billion in annual sales.

Olive Garden is a division of Darden Restaurants Inc. (NYSE:DRI), the world's largest casual dining company. Visit Olive Garden's Web site at www.olivegarden.com

At a glance

Opening Date: Monday, Sept. 20, 2004

Employees: Approximately 140

Square Footage: 6,895 square feet

Number of Seats: 182

Hours of Operation:

From Monday, Sept. 20 - Sept. 26, the restaurant will serve dinner only:

Sunday through Thursday: 4 - 10 p.m.

Friday and Saturday: 4 - 11 p.m.

The restaurant will be open for lunch beginning Monday,

Sept. 27.

Lunch will be served starting at 11 a.m. every day.