Olive Garden's popular Never-Ending Pasta Pass, a promotional offer granting 13 weeks of unlimited pasta, soup or salad, and breadsticks for $100, has sold out in under an hour. The pass, which returned for the first time in six years, was made available for purchase on August 24th and quickly became inaccessible to many hopeful customers.
Customers attempting to purchase the pass shortly after its 11:01 a.m. PT release were met with long virtual queues, with some reporting hundreds of thousands of people ahead of them in line. This rapid sell-out has led to widespread disappointment among fans, with many expressing their frustration on social media and Olive Garden's subreddit.
Some users on the subreddit claimed to have acquired the pass by using bots, a practice that has drawn criticism from other customers. One individual reportedly saw their position in line drop significantly, suggesting successful bot activity. Another user posted a screenshot showing they had obtained a pass, which was met with chastisement from others.
The Never-Ending Pasta Pass was originally introduced by Olive Garden in 2014 and was an annual offering until 2019. The promotion's hiatus for several years prior to its recent return has likely contributed to the intense demand.
While the pass can represent a significant value for dedicated patrons who plan to dine at Olive Garden frequently over the 13-week period, its limited availability and the swift sell-out have left many unable to take advantage of the offer. There is also speculation that some passes may appear on resale sites, despite Olive Garden's policy requiring ID verification for use.