It’s back, pasta lovers. Olive Garden’s Never Ending Pasta Pass, which often sells out in mere minutes, goes on sale Thursday, August 15.
For $100 plus tax, 24,000 people will get nine weeks of unlimited servings from the restaurant’s Never Ending Pasta Bowl menu — plus soup or salad, and breadsticks.
The original Never Ending Pasta Pass in 2014 was so popular it crashed Olive Garden's website, and the passes sold out in about 45 minutes. In 2015, with improved website capabilities, the 2,000 passes sold out 1 second after going on sale.
Olive Garden is adding a second pass this year for a few lucky people. For an additional $400 plus tax, 50 people can upgrade to a Lifetime Pasta Pass. That’s right — unlimited pasta, sauces and toppings, plus unlimited soup or salad, and breadsticks — for a total of $500 plus tax.
“Olive Garden has always been known for Italian Generosity and making everyone feel like family, which is why we introduced our Pasta Pass five years ago,” Jennifer Arguello, executive vice president of marketing for Olive Garden, said in a press release. “With the introduction of our new Lifetime Pasta Pass, we’re excited to be a part of our biggest fans’ memories around the table for years to come.”
Here's how it works:
There will be 24,000 passes going on sale at 2 p.m. ET. Olive Garden recommends joining its "waiting room" at 1:55 p.m. — 5 minutes before the sale begins. Have your payment method ready, because the process will be fast.
When the “buy now” icon illuminates, click it quickly. If you’re fast enough, you’ll go from the waiting room to the cart page. Once there, you’ll have 8 minutes to complete your purchase.
If you’re interested in the Lifetime Pasta Pass, click the box for the chance to upgrade. The first 50 to opt in the lifetime pass and complete their purchase will receive an email on Friday, August 16.
A “sold out” message will appear when there are no more passes.
For more information, visit Olive Garden's presale FAQs page.
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