Olive Garden debuts in India with Aerocity flagship

Darden Restaurants' Olive Garden enters India via franchise partnership with Gourmet Investments Hospitality Group, opening its first store at World St., Worldmark in New Delhi's Aerocity. The 980-restaurant Italian-American chain plans broader rollout across the country.

— FiledTue, 19 May, 2026, 15:11 IST·First seen Tue, 19 May, 2026, 15:10 IST·Source Retail4Growth (HTML list)

What happened

Olive Garden makes India debut with flagship restaurant at World St., Worldmark, Aerocity, New Delhi. Gourmet Investments Hospitality Group leads entry via

Key facts

  • 980 restaurants
  • 12 countries
  • founded 1982

Why this matters

Olive Garden's India debut signals intensifying competition in the premium casual-dining space and may accelerate franchise M&A activity as domestic operators seek anchor international brands to differentiate their portfolios.