Olive Garden Opening Next Spring

SEBRING - Carol Shackleford already knows the biggest news in town.

"People have been calling me at home, asking me if it's really going to open," said Shackleford, the permit clerk at the Highlands County Building Official's office.

So, for the record, Shackleford issued a permit on Sept. 18 to Olive Garden. A 7,441 square-foot building will be constructed at 1696 U.S. 27 S., in front of the Shops at Shelby Crossing. It will employ about 150 workers.

The building alone will cost $800,000, and that doesn't include electrical, plumbing, air conditioning or the roof, Shackleford said. A fully-equipped Olive Garden - including machinery, tables and silverware - costs over $3 million, according to restaurant industry experts.

Olive Garden will have a Tuscan farmhouse look, with barrel tiles on the roof and a stone facade. The plans, filed March 28 with plans examiner Doug Hammon, shows three large dining rooms, a bar and lounge and a family alcove that seats a dozen people.

"This is not the open concept," Hammon said. Even so, it will seat 262 people, meaning it will be the largest restaurant in Highlands County.

By comparison, the Roadhouse Steakhouse seats 241 and had 135 full-time and part-time employees when it opened early in 2007.

In the kitchen, chefs will work at three cooking lines. The freezer and refrigerator will occupy 8 x 22 rooms.

Construction will begin in November, said Olive Garden spokeswoman Mara Frazier. "That means it will open in May or June."

To obtain the permit from Highlands County, GMRI paid $66,883 in fees. That included more than $62,000 in impact fees. Currently, the county charges 25 percent of the total it plans to assess in future years. If Olive Garden had waited until the full impact fees were in force, it would have paid $250,000 in impact fees.

According to Olive Garden's Web site, chefs train at the Culinary Institute, located in Tuscany, Italy, in a restored 11th century village. They learn how to combine fresh ingredients to create authentic Italian dishes.

Darden also operates Red Lobster and Bahama Breeze restaurants. Darden has announced plans to sell Smokey Bones, and to buy LongHorn Steakhouses.

Olive Garden is opening 21 new restaurants in the next six months, including one in Kissimmee.