VAUGHAN, ON, June 29, 2026 /CNW/ - Recipe Restaurant Group ("Recipe") today announced the opening of its newest Olive Garden restaurant at Vaughan Mills, the first new Olive Garden to open in Eastern Canada under Recipe's national development agreement with Darden Restaurants, Inc.

The opening marks an important step in Recipe's plan to expand the Olive Garden brand across Canada and follows the company's acquisition of the existing Western Canadian Olive Garden restaurants earlier this year.

Located at Vaughan Mills, one of Canada's premier shopping destinations, the new restaurant welcomes guests with Olive Garden's signature hospitality, generous portions and beloved menu favourites, including freshly baked breadsticks, homemade soups and salads, and classic Italian-inspired dishes.

"The opening of the first Olive Garden restaurant in Ontario is a significant milestone for Recipe," said Frank Hennessey, Chief Executive Officer for Recipe Restaurant Group.  "The response from the community to the opening has been incredible. Receiving over 6,000 applications allowed us to build an outstanding team of more than 250 members, representing a fantastic economic opportunity for the region. We're proud to bring Olive Garden's quality food, warm hospitality and exceptional value to Ontarians, and we can't wait to welcome guests to experience everything that makes the brand so special."

"We are very excited to expand Olive Garden into Eastern Canada and open our first Toronto-area restaurant at Vaughan Mills," said Bradley Smith, President of Darden Franchising. "Recipe's deep experience in the Canadian restaurant industry will help us successfully deliver Olive Garden's signature Italian generosity to our guests."

The Vaughan Mills restaurant is the first of several new Olive Garden locations planned across Ontario, with additional restaurants in Ottawa and Ajax currently in development as Recipe continues its long-term national growth strategy.

About Olive Garden
At Olive Garden, we know that life is better together and everyone is happiest when they're with family. As the leader in the Italian dining segment, Olive Garden has more than 920 restaurants and employs more than 96,000 team members. Olive Garden is a division of Darden Restaurants. Olive Garden is committed to making a difference in the lives of others in the local community.

As part of this commitment, Olive Garden restaurants have donated more than 53 million pounds of food to local community food banks across the country. For more information, visit www.olivegarden.com.

Follow Olive Garden on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

About Recipe Restaurant Group
Recipe Restaurant Group is Canada's largest full-service restaurant company. Home to leading casual dining, quick service, and fast casual brands, Recipe has nearly 1,100 restaurants located across Canada, and an international presence in the United States and the Middle East. The Company's portfolio of brands includes Swiss Chalet, St-Hubert, Harvey's, Montana's, Olive Garden, New York Fries, Kelseys Original Roadhouse, East Side Mario's, Original Joe's, State & Main, Anejo, The Burger's Priest, The Landing Group, Elephant & Castle, Fresh Kitchen + Juice Bar, The Pickle Barrel, Blanco Cantina and Bier Markt.

Recipe's iconic brands have established the organization as a nationally recognized franchisor of choice. More information about the Company is available at www.recipeunlimited.com.

SOURCE Recipe Restaurant Group