The Number Of Breadsticks Olive Garden Goes Through In Just One Week Could Feed A Small Army

For years, Olive Garden was the top casual dining chain in the United States. And while it was recently edged out by Texas Roadhouse, it's no surprise people still fill up the local Olive Garden on a regular basis — in part because of the popularity of the chain's breadsticks, which have been served without end ever since the restaurant opened back in 1982. As far as how many are served, the numbers vary. Based on sources from the last 15 years, the number is somewhere between 500 and 600 million, give or take a few million. However, Olive Garden has expanded through the years, so the 2026 numbers could be even higher. But if we use 600 million as a rough estimate, when divided by 52 weeks in a year, Olive Garden is doling out close to 12 million breadsticks per week. 

This is largely due to Olive Garden's bottomless breadsticks deal, so it's possible that not all of these breadsticks are being consumed. Some are likely brought to the table and not eaten, while others might eventually be tossed out if they never make it out of the kitchen before a fresh batch gets delivered.

There are a few different figures floating around regarding how many breadsticks a restaurant sells, but the true number fluctuates depending on the size and visitor level of an individual establishment. For example, a Reddit user who claims to be an Olive Garden manager noted on an r/olivegarden thread that their location receives "130 cases per week. Each case has 192 sticks." That means this particular location goes through close to 25,000 breadsticks per week. But the Olive Garden in Times Square, at the center of Midtown Manhattan, is reportedly the chain's largest restaurant. It's almost a certainty that this Olive Garden would go through far more breadsticks than any other location around the United States. 

Olive Garden's growth through the years suggests that its breadstick numbers will only rise. Between December 2025 and February 2026 (Olive Garden's fiscal third quarter), the company saw a 3.2% same-store sales increase — and that only reflects one quarter, not a whole year. Could the breadstick number ever reach 1 billion annually? Somehow, we wouldn't be surprised.