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Olive Garden opens its doors in Alaska. Expect company records to fall.For a decade now, driving around Anchorage, it’s been a whispered secret, a rumor so flighty saying it at full volume might scare it away. Passing a vacant lot, anywhere in town, a friend, family member, or even yourself might point at the empty space and say: “I heard there’s an Olive Garden going in there.” The rumors never came to anything, though, as the lots filled up with other businesses -- sometimes local businesses, sometimes other chain stores arriving from the Lower 48 -- or continued to sit empty. But on Monday, that whispered dream of an Olive Garden in Alaska's largest city will come true, when the first-ever Olive Garden in the Last Frontier makes its debut on Muldoon Road. It will make Hawaii the only state in the union without the chain restaurant serving up its “hospitaliano,” as the chain is fond of advertising. As far as dining experiences go, it’s pretty non-objectionable -- everything is the standard throughout the chain. The pasta dishes are mostly standard Italian fare, and the unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks are an oft-cited draw for the bargain hunter. This writer is a particular fan of the Pasta e fagioli soup. But will it be the best Italian restaurant in Anchorage? Some will surely say yes, many will say no. Many will still rely on their old standbys rather than visiting the sure-to-be packed Olive Garden. Others will say instead, “When are they going to open a Romano’s Macaroni Grill” -- the Ford to the Olive Garden’s Chevy -- “up here?” So why has Anchorage been in such a tizzy over the restaurant’s opening? It’s a bit of an intangible, but the Olive Garden is just the latest in a long chain (yes, pun intended) of national restaurant openings over the last decade or so in Alaska’s largest city. Is it good for Alaska? Chain of chainsBack in 1998, The Gap opened its first store in Alaska. I still remember it, because I was a kid in high school, and thus particularly susceptible to the chain’s youth-oriented advertising. An article from the Anchorage Daily News the day after the store’s opening described a hectic scene more fitting for Wal-Mart on Black Friday than Anchorage's Dimond Mall in August. “Within an hour of Friday's opening, the store was so packed that lines 20 people deep had backed up at all four registers,” the ADN’s Elizabeth Manning wrote at the time. “The line for the fitting room snaked through half the store.” It seems crazy now, in retrospect, that we Alaskans got so excited about something that we all take more or less for granted today. But it wasn’t the first time, and as the Olive Garden demonstrates, it won’t be the last. A year before The Gap opened, entrepeneur Dan Farr brought Cold Stone Creamery north after convincing the company that an ice cream shop could survive -- and indeed thrive -- in Alaska. He was right. Cold Stone did booming business, especially the first few years, and the company now gives out an accolade titled the Dan Farr Pioneer Award, “presented to an individual who has taken Cold Stone Creamery to new heights while establishing new standards of excellence, performance and growth.” Likewise, when Alaska saw its first Chili’s restaurant open in 2002, the location broke national sales records for the first five months of its existence. When Dairy Queen opened on Tudor Road in 2007 -- after a 17 year absence from the city -- it similarly broke sales records for its first six days of opening. Sure, it was in the middle of a heat wave, but still. Alaska loves its chains. Wanting what we can’t haveNailing down why Alaskans love chain restaurants is less easy than acknowledging that the love exits. Part of it is surely wanting what we can’t have. Even in the state's largest city, chains aren't that old. Many stores and restaurants that had been household names in the Lower 48 for decades didn't come to Anchorage and others Alaska cities until the 1980s and 1990s. Even today, when Alaskans are traveling out of state, it's a bit of a novelty to visit restaurants like the Olive Garden and Red Lobster. Why - when the first adorable little lemming went over the cliff - did all the other adorable little lemmings follow? Crappy Corporate American Chains. I haven't been to a Red Lobster in over ten years, certainly don't miss it. Never been to Olive Garden either but I'll have to go sometime. Just putting this out there about the advertising thing; at a Subways in the Lower 48, the five dollar footlongs were instead 7.50, somewhere around the same price when I was in Seward, so that made me mad. Why all the fuss? Olive Garden is considered a "dumbed-down" version of an Italian restaurant here in California. I think Alaska needs to try and attract "quality" chains like Maggiano's Little Italy and Buca di Beppo (Italian), and In-n-Out Burger. And for Pete's sake you all need a Trader Joe's up there!!! :-) Definitely Trader Joes! Yep, Olive Garden is a dumbed down version of Italian restaurants, in the sense that they provide dinners for $12 and you can get much better Italian food at other restaurants for $25. If you want fine dining Italian, definitely don't go to Olive Garden. But there are very few restaurants that can provide better food, much less a better dining experience, at the same price. The best food in the world is cooking the salmon you just caught over a campfire. Second best is pulling the moose or halibut out of the freezer in February. Too bad that all the expensive restaurants can't duplicate that experience. The best Pizza ever created was by George Kastanas of Pizza Omega in the late 1970s, early 80s on a Spenard Road location near PJ's. He created his own special blend of cheeses along with "greek style" ingredients which has never been duplicated. Heard he moved to Naknek where he was still creating this gastronomic delight at the D and D Hotel and restaurant. Have never found any Pizza to compare anywhere since. The current Omega Pizza is not the same. For far too long Alaska is disregarded by the rest of the lower 48 states in the union. We are often thought of the 3rd world country we own. Companies treat us as overseas ports and are unwilling to ship to us unless its done with the most expensive and unneeded shipping option available. How many times are you forced to pay for express mail overnight instead of priority mail, when they both come the same way and often on the same timetable? Same is true with outside companies trying to do business here in Alaska. They dont really want to be here cause they feel it will be a loss market because of their shipping options. I worked with a couple retail chains that came up here (now gone) and they would not listen to the local employees when it came to the Alaskan consumers. indeed explaining BUSH Communities is like watching fish in a bowl staring out into space clueless as to how to interact with you. At least with Olive Garden the majority of their goods are made in house from base ingredients any Alaskan would be able to attain locally... But like most businesses up here they will have to deal with our higher costs of living here. So prices will be marginally higher one would expect then their chains typically would have. Alaskans come to accept that as a cost of living here, along with the long horrible dark winters. Red Lobster on the other hand I doubt will ever make it in Alaska, for one because Alaskan sea food is far superior to what they serve in their chain in the rest of the country. The rest of the country doesnt know any better and just accepts what they sell as good seafood. Such a chain here in comparison to our fresh seafood options we have is like going to long john silvers for $30 a plate. lol Just saying... "Five, five, five dollar foot longs" except it is 6 dollars in Anchorage. Then it costs another dollar to send the quarter pound of meat out to Eagle River. And another dollar to send it to Fairbanks. Only Alaskans have believed that very stupid argument for higher prices. The world has changed. Good Alaska restaurants will do fine with Olive Garden here. But the other 80% deserve their fate for their years of overcharging and crappy service. Awesome, I'll have to plan to eat at Olive Garden next time I am in town. For us in the Bush, the plethora of dining options in Anchorage are a big attractant when we come to the Big City. We don't have much to choose from where we are. I would love to see one of the Cabela's monster stores in Anchorage, too. Sure, Sportsman's Warehouse may be affected, but it would be good for the consumer to have the competition. Alaskans across the State buy a lot of goods from Cabela's by mail order...I'm willing to bet we purchase more than any other State. Why not have a retail store one can visit? Fact is most chain outlets find their Alaska stores are their most profitable. Alaskans like a good deal when they see it. Its all good. Bring 'em on. You'll find deals that are just as good or higher quality outdoors gear at Boondocks, B&J, Barney's, Boot Country, etc. Cabelas and Sportsman's Warehouse have their place, but the local options carry gear that is better suited to Alaska with more knowledgeable staff. Very correct, and i agree. I shop Army Navy for Carhartts because they have the best stock in town. I also frequent Mt View Sporting Goods, REI and other niche stores who pride themselves in great service and quality products. Still, I buy a lot of stuff from Cabela's on-line. Some of their house brands are not the best quality, but the service and unconditional guarantee are hard to beat. I would wager a bet that if Cabelas put in one of their super stores in Anchorage, within one year it would be the highest grossing store in their group. Plus, it would be cool to see King Crab and Salmon in the live aquariums instead of Bass, and you know the Alaskan Taxidermy mounts would be awesome to see. This reminds me of the statement that Mr. Whitekeys puts on his beer menu to justify his 50-cent "Budweiser tax", something like, If you're going to allow yourself to make your beer buying decisions based on marketing and advertising rather than on personal taste, you've got to pay extra for the privilege. Perhaps Mr. Whitekeys can explain why Alaska Amber beer costs $8 a six-pack in Juneau where it is made, but only $6 a six-pack in Seattle, LA or Phoenix? Those crying for chains are merely the same transplants or immigrants in the continuing cycling of people temporarily or permanently into Alaska. Just like the "Ugly Americans" traveling throughout the world, they all expect every new place to be exactly like their "home". They travel to new places to experience new lifestyles, but they soon yearn for the old familiar. Nothing should ever change except to re-create the exact same life left behind. Those with sufficient wealth or income "demand" everything be the same from government and business. The complete overthrow of politics, lifestyle, and business within Alaska and especially in Anchorage by the Oil Monopoly saw the immediate installing of the Old South staples of Fundamentalist Christianity and barbeque cuisine slathered with hot sauces along with the Fast Food establishments. Clothing adorned with free advertising from sports teams to international businesses(Caterpillar, GE, etc.) replaced the utilitarian basics for survival in the climate. All of it transplanted within a few years to look exactly like the "homefront". Most Americans claim their willingness to explore other cultures and lifestyles, but few actually adopt those same elements when confronted with the loss of their past tastes and wishes. They glory in the notion that "their way" is the best despite any revelations to the contrary. I applaud the few Anchorage restaurants that add culture to the dining experience. Most of them are very expensive, which is fine, but you are kidding yourself if you compare them to Olive Garden. Olive Garden is what it is. It is priced just where most people want to spend, and it provides good service and consistent food. Good local restaurants can beat it by providing better service and local food favorites, but don't be surprised if 80% of Anchorage restaurants don't have a clue. Those of you who are Foodie Snobs are welcome to stick to your local favorite restaurants. You can decide whether to attend birthdays and celebrations that your relatives plan at Olive Garden, because the rest of the country has mostly chosen Olive Garden. And eat at your Foodie Snob restaurants a lot in the next few months, because many of them won't be around much longer. Thank you Adam Smith for realizing the power of competition. I doubt the Muldoon Olive Garden is going to really dent the Romano's, Sorrentos, or Corsair businesses. Well I think your wrong at least. For one the typical clientele of those restaurants are not likely to go to that side of town anyhow. Indeed I have yet to even go to that theater as there is just no need too. The majority of their business is going to be the base families and Eagle River and thats a wise choice for their location as there is little for them otherwise. The South Anchorage location when it opens up MAY effect the upper echelon restaurants in town for a short time, but they will hardly be put out of business. with just another competitor on the market. Olive Garden is a welcome Change, just as Chilli's and TGI Fridays were. It will continue to add options to going out to eat in the city. Olive Garden will prosper ONLY if they can get a good purchasing agent down at the docks to ensure they are getting quality produce and base ingredients for their in house made goods. If they become dependent on shipping from outside Alaskas available resources they will not be able to maintain a competitive output & quality of the food would fall. I ate at one when I was 12. That was 22 years ago. Like many franchises, my guess is standards have slipped and OG has lost sight of Quality Control in favor of profits. I won't eat here for the same reason I don't eat at Chili's, TGIFridays, Red Robin, Golden Corral, and Boston's. I can get comparable food from Pizza hut for less. Olive Garden serves ho-hum food and directs its profits outside, to some tax leveraged corporate headquarters in Orlando, Florida. The amount of free advertising that local publications have given this company is just unbelievable. I think it's safe to say that if a new genuine Italian family-owned restaurant opened up in Anchorage, it would never get this much coverage. If Olive Garden sucks, then it won't be any threat to good restaurants. After all, Olive Garden doesn't buy its pasta and sauce from the Italian city of Costco or Sysco, which is where most local Italian restaurants buy their supplies. Welcome, Olive Garden. Congratulations to 165 people with jobs. Good for Tikahtnu Commons having a new tenant. Mark me down as another one who just doesn't understand. Like the writer of the article, when I was younger I was more apt to listen to the marketing pitches. I loved eating at Lone Star Steakhouse when I was in my late teens and early twenties, but then I began to discover what an amazing local dining scene we have. If Italian is on my mind in the months to come, I'm quite certain I'll be choosing Piccolinos, Ninos, Romanos, Little Italy, or Sorrentos. The food is only marginally more expensive and is sooo worth the difference in price due to the better quality. I'm not bothered by the Olive Garden's entry into the Anchorage market - I just don't get the excitement. I first witnessed this phenomenon in the winter of '76 - '77 when Denny's announced they would be coming to Anchorage. I didn't understand it then, and I don't understand it now. There is no mystery. Alaskans are sick and tired of being charged 20-50% more for dining and other products because "the high shipping costs to Alaska." When a chain store comes to Alaska, suddenly they can ship stuff to Alaska and make a good profit for the same consumer price as they charge in the Lower 48. The Olive Garden will probably put a lot of restaurants in Anchorage out of business, and the restaurants that are left will have to greatly increase their customer service or go out of business. Sure a good local restaurant can provide better food and better service than Olive Garden. That just begs the question of why they haven't been doing that for the last 20 years. But if they are so good that they can put Olive Garden out of business, then godspeed to them. Why in the world do Alaskans have to pay more for Alaska salmon and Alaskan King Crab and Alaska Shrimp than restaurants in Arizona or Miami? THANK YOU FOR COMPETITION!!!!! Have you actually compared the prices at national chains in Anchorage with prices in the rest of the country? Subway's subs, for instance, are usually $1 more here. A burrito at Taco del Mar costs several dollars more. A trip to McDonalds or Wendy's for two will cost about $4-5 dollars more. It seems that the national chains are the worst examples of these bogus "shipping cost" price markups. In reality, the chains realize that some Alaskans will pay anything for an inferior product because it's popular in the Lower 48, and that Alaskans tend to have a bit more money. The higher prices we pay at local restaurants are not because of fake shipping cost markups, but because it costs a bit more to run a small business. So true! I'm amazed at how much more expensive Taco Bell or Subway is when I'm up there. In California, Taco Bell is one of the cheapest fast food places to eat. I totally agree with you. I would just add that you can compare prices in chains because they sell the same thing. You can't compare prices in local stores. If local stores can kill the national chains, I would be very happy. I will root for it. The "Taco King" local chain is certainly killing. But there are lots of $12 breakfasts in Anchorage that aren't any better than a $5 Denny's Slam Breakfast. And there are lots of Alaska salmon, halibut, and king crab dinner entrees that are cheaper and better in Seattle or Memphis than they are in Anchorage. Plus customer service in Anchorage is atrocious. If you go to a restaurant when it is busy, or when it is empty, the service is absolutely terrible. Competition is badly needed throughout Alaska. Then all restaurants will have to focus on customers. Well stated. Look no farther than Pizza Man in Eagle River for an apt comparison. At Subway you can get a footlong sub for about $7-8. At Pizza Man you can get a sub for the same price with far better ingredients, or you can get a half sub with a salad bar, chips, and drink for $7.95. Better deals at the chains? Hardly. Two words: Krispy Kreme. |
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