Olive Garden Operator Plans Major India Expansion

Gourmet Investments Hospitality Group, the Indian operator of brands including Olive Garden, Chili’s and PizzaExpress, plans to double its restaurant network in India over the next three years. The company will officially launch Olive Garden in India on Monday as part of its broader expansion strategy targeting affluent consumers who continue spending despite global inflation pressures.

CEO Rohan Pewekar said the company aims to expand from around 55 outlets to nearly 100–125 restaurants across multiple formats and categories. Olive Garden alone is expected to cross 10 outlets within three years before accelerating expansion in major Indian cities. The brand, owned by Darden Restaurants, currently operates nearly 1,000 restaurants across 12 countries.

To appeal to Indian customers, Gourmet Investments plans to keep Olive Garden’s global menu while adding more vegetarian dishes, a common strategy among Western restaurant chains in India. International brands such as McDonald’s and Domino’s Pizza have already adapted pricing and menus to compete with local food options in the highly competitive Indian market. Pewekar described Olive Garden’s positioning in India as a “premium casual dining” experience.

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