Everyone loves Olive Garden’s breadsticks. However, concern about them has been percolating online since this strange video. One woman is even unsure if they can eat there again.
The iconic breadsticks
According to Thrillist, the company distributes about 529,000,00 breadsticks a year. Why are they so popular? For starters, many find them delicious. But more importantly, the breadsticks are free when you purchase a meal. Oh, and they’re unlimited. This means that you can eat endless breadsticks for free as long as you order a meal.
The Daily Dot has previously reported on Olive Garden’s breadsticks, like this video where a customer thinks their restaurant swapped out the traditional bread for hotdog buns.
What’s on that breadstick?
In early Dec. 2024, a video went viral after an Olive Garden customer allegedly found something strange on their breadsticks.
“Guys why is there letters on my olive garden breadstick,” this customer asked.
In the video, you see the text “OK6” in blue/black ink on the bottom side of the bread. People went mad in the comments. To the point where even Olive Garden commented on the video and said, “We are concerned to see this. Can you please send an email to social@olivegarden.com with your full name, and the location you went to?”
In a separate video, this person shared that Olive Garden gave them a gift card as a result of the situation.
People assumed that the letters on the bread were from ink transferred from the bag the breads were packaged in. Still, concerns were high and still are.
‘Idk if I can eat there again’
While Olive Garden did respond to the person who posted the video with the lettered breadsticks, they still haven’t quite given customers an answer about what exactly those letters were and what happened. This has left customers concerned.
“Oh nothing, just thinking about how an Olive Garden customer was allegedly served breadsticks with literal ink transfer meaning they bake the bread in their bags, and Olive Garden hasn’t responded. idk if I can eat there again,” says @chantalcaz in a video posted mid-December. This reaction video has over 95,000 likes and 1.7 million views.
Naturally, the comments section was filled with other reactions and theories about the text on the breadsticks.
“One time I found one of those blue tags in my daughter’s Alfredo,” one wrote.
Surprisingly, several Olive Garden employees weighed in on the video in defense of the company.
“As a former Olive Garden employee, they’re franz breadsticks but they’re not baked in a bag. They’re put on a baking sheet, baked and then brushed with margarine and salt,” one person said.
“Olive Garden was the best restaurant i’ve worked for when it came to health and safety! i’ve always seen them baked in regular baking sheets lined with parchment paper,” said someone else.
“I’ve worked at Olive Garden for three years and not only is it a really good company to work for it’s the cleanest restaurant I’ve ever worked for at least where I live,” another chimed in.
“The date could have transferred due to humidity and if the bag was inside out when it was in the bread truck, thus transferring the ink. Hope this helps,” someone suggested.
@chantalcaz ♬ Stuck In The Middle – Tai Verdes
The Daily Dot has reached out to Olive Garden via email and to @chantalcaz for comment via TikTok message and comment.
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