For the last five years, Olive Garden has released "Never Ending Pasta Pass," which gives customers a chance to receive unlimited for a set number of weeks. These passes are hard to come by, and every year they only grow in popularity. Last year the pass had grown so big, the company changed the length of time from eight weeks to a full year.
"We have the most passionate fans who look forward to Pasta Pass and Never Ending Pasta Bowl throughout the year, and they've made it clear that eight weeks just isn't long enough," Jennifer Arguello, executive vice president of marketing for Olive Garden, said in a statement. "So we listened, and we're excited to give our guests more of what they've been asking for -- an Annual Pasta Pass that extends our Never Ending Pasta Bowl promotion year-round."
However, this year they've upped the ante even more. In addition to a Never Ending Pasta Pass, there will also be some Lifetime Pasta Passes available.
“Olive Garden has always been known for Italian generosity and making everyone feel like family, which is why we introduced our Pasta Pass five years ago,” said Arguello in a statement. “With the introduction of our new Lifetime Pasta Pass, we’re excited to be a part of our biggest fans’ memories around the table for years to come.”
There will be 24,000 Never Ending Pasta Passes, which retail at $100 plus tax. This will allow users to get nine weeks of unlimited access to Olive Garden's Never Ending Pasta Bowl promo. The promo consists of everyone's favorite unlimited pastas, homemade sauces and toppings, plus unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks.
The Lifetime Pasta Pass is where things really get heated. When you purchase a Never Ending Pasta Pass, you'll have the option to upgrade to a Lifetime Pasta Pass for an additional $400 plus tax. The first 50 customers to complete their transactions will get the Lifetime Pasta Pass, and get unlimited pastas, homemade sauces and toppings, plus unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks until they die. Yes. The DIE.
Now, $500 for a Lifetime Pasta Pass may sound like a lot, but you need to look at it in the grand scheme of things. You can use the pass all day every day, except on Thanksgiving and Christmas when the restaurant is closed. You've basically made your money back after your 45th bowl of pasta. If you can sit here and tell me that in your LIFETIME you won't eat 45 bowls of pasta, you're lying.
Pasta Passes will go on Thursday, August 15th at 2pm E.T. and will be on sale for 30 minutes, or until they're sold out. You can join the virtual waiting room 5 minutes before the sale starts at PastaPass.com.
I know I'll be trying to get a Lifetime Pasta Pass. Will you?
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