Olive Garden Is Going To Start Serving Burgers And Fries

Olive Garden is going to start serving burgers and fries to compete with chains like Chili's.

The restaurant's burger will have an Italian touch, with "mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula, pesto tomatoes and aioli spread," reports Leslie Patton at Bloomberg News.

The burger will be released nationwide in the next few weeks. It's served with fries and costs $9.99.

Analysts interviewed by Patton were skeptical that the burger would resonate with customers.

"It would be the same as McDonald's trying to do some sort of pasta meal," analyst Peter Saleh at Telsey Advisory Group told Bloomberg. "I'm not seeing it."

Olive Garden execs said in September that visits declined 4% from a year earlier.

In the past year, Olive Garden has tried to revamp business with a new menu of small plates, a redesigned logo, and a more affordable menu.