Gourmet Investments to bring Olive Garden to India, double network to 100-125 outlets in 3 years

The Darden Restaurants franchisee, which already runs PizzaExpress and Chili's locally, will scale from 55 to 100-125 stores over three years and open 10+ Olive Garden outlets, betting on premium casual dining in metros with expanded vegetarian menus.

— Source publishedMon, 18 May, 2026, 09:04 IST·First seen Mon, 18 May, 2026, 09:10 IST·Source Business Standard · Companies

What happened

Gourmet Investments Hospitality Group · Gourmet Investments will launch Olive Garden in India and double its restaurant count from 55 to 100-125 outlets over

Key facts

  • 55 stores currently
  • 100-125 stores in 3 years
  • 10+ Olive Garden outlets in 3 years

Why this matters

Darden's India entry via an established franchisee validates the multi-brand platform model and could pressure competitors like Jubilant and Devyani to accelerate premium casual dining partnerships or M&A in metros.