What Happened to Common Sense with That Olive Garden Restaurant? - By John Hendrie

Here is the scene.  The Club was hosting a banquet at the Olive Garden.  They arrived with all their banquet incidentals and regalia, including an American Flag and Kiwanis banner.  However, both the flag and the banner were not allowed entry.  One of the organizers of the event, Marti Warren, age 81, was informed that since there was not a private dining area in the restaurant, such displays would be unfair to the restaurant patrons and cause disruption.  Ms. Warren stated,   “I was so angry.  I felt I had been slapped in the face”.  The members were advised to close their eyes and visualize the American flag, waving in the breeze, while the Pledge of Allegiance was recited, as the Banquet Program began.

We who reside in small town America can probably relate to this situation.  We host our soccer and hockey teams at the local Pizza joint; we hold our business meetings all over the place – dining emporiums, libraries, municipal halls; our associations, Chambers and many professional clubs use restaurants for meetings, food and beverage.  Sometimes there is private dining or a function space.  Many times this is not the case.  But, we proceed with our agenda with the proprietor’s blessing, for we are a source of income.  We are usually accommodated by restaurant operators, for there are often other options out there for “meeting space”.

As the Miami Herald reported, these are the words issued from Darden Corporate:  "like all Americans we have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for the American flag and everything it symbolizes… To be fair to everyone and avoid disrupting the dining experience for all other guests, they're unable to accommodate flags or banners of any type in the dining room”.

This was a situation poorly handled, sufficiently enough to gain international attention, which no restaurant company needs.  There is an argument that a restaurant has a specific flavor, look or theme, which remains intact, unless otherwise dictated by agreement with restaurant parties.  Lord knows what they do with a child’s birthday party and balloons.  I would also think that any type of banquet, Kiwanis or otherwise, held in an open floor restaurant would be disruption a plenty.  I can also draw the line at the American Flag (which is quite standard in many restaurants) versus the Kiwanis banner appearance. 

But, now we have a local issue, which has grown a global presence of its own, and the Olive Garden will suffer.  Where were the damage control folks and the publicists, not to mention some common sense?  This reminds me of that wonderful scene in the movie, “Animal House”, where the Delta Fraternity was called in front of the Campus Inter-Fraternal Council to address their many shortcomings and deviations (plus, they were on double secret probation).  Their defense was shredded, until the Delta brothers took on an all-American argument, leaving the hall with a patriotic hum.  They still lost.

The olive Garden could have done better.  What a shame!  Cancel my Noodles Alfredo!

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Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

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