CHALLENGE
Olive Garden had to train kitchen staff and servers on a variety of new menu offerings as part of the casual dining chain’s massive brand renaissance initiative.
OFC created and produced Ultimate Chef, a melodramatic culinary competition video series where Olive Garden test kitchen chefs and company executives compete to win the “gold tongs of victory” by preparing the perfect meal. The 7-minute episodic series was extended into a recognition program where outstanding chefs received hats embroidered with the Ultimate Chef logo.
The series was embraced by Olive Garden team members and contributed to the outstanding execution of the new menu offerings which, which bolstered guest satisfaction and revenue increases. Olive Garden’s Executive Chef who served as judge is now a celebrity among employees!