What Bakery Supplies Olive Garden's Iconic Breadsticks?

A trip to Olive Garden is necessary not only for some delicious pasta, but also for an order of its classic breadsticks. While the Olive Garden breadsticks may not be made from scratch in the restaurant, there's no denying that these carb-loaded torpedoes hit the spot, especially since an order provides a never-ending supply of them. Since Olive Garden doesn't make the bread in-house, it's sourced from a supplier and shipped to each location. Then, the sticks are prepped in the restaurant's kitchens with seasonings and baked. However, the exact supplier of these iconic sticks isn't fully confirmed.

In the early 2000s, Olive Garden's Midwest locations got their breadsticks from Turano Baking Company, known for its high quality and tasty bread products. Not only did Turano supply the breadsticks for years, but the company even contributed to some of its other baked goods, such as special menu cookies. Olive Garden isn't the only restaurant the bakery has supplied to — it also provided goods to chains like Applebee's and Bahama Breeze. We even thought Applebee's breadsticks could compete with Olive Garden's in our own ranking of Applebee's appetizers, so it's no surprise that these sticks likely came from the same vendor. 

Turano Baking Company is the most widely known vendor of Olive Garden breadsticks, but there have been mentions of other suppliers over the years. Some customers have noticed that the breadsticks taste different than they used to, and suspect a change of supplier. One Reddit user even said this about the potentially new sticks: "They are basically hot dog buns with a small amount of butter/oil now." Others have claimed that Franz Bakery now provides Olive Garden with its bread, though there is no confirmation if this is true. 

Olive Garden did change its suppliers in 2023 due to concerns surrounding allergens such as sesame, but there is no clarity on which supplier this was (Turano, Franz, or another), and who the new one was. Whether or not Turano Baking Company still stocks Olive Garden with the famous breadsticks is unknown, but the overall recipe has remained the same. The restaurant slathers the bread with butter and a in-house blend of garlic seasonings to create that signature flavor. 

Even if Olive Garden did change suppliers, the breadsticks are still an irresistible starter. If you're someone who thinks they taste different, Walmart carries copycat Olive Garden breadsticks that brings these delicious parcels to the comfort of your home.