Olive Garden

Anyone jumping on these? I know some of us have waited a long time for them. Unfortunately, the reimbursement is ridiculously low based on the ordering requirement (i.e. Center cut filet). Um, no thanks!

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I did one and went over reimbursement by $3. We could've stay below reimbursement if we gone with a cheaper appetizer.
There was too much food and we had the leftover for dinner.

Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@

~Polish Proverb~

A center cut filet at Olive Garden? I have never ordered fish there.
I'm rather curious about this shop, would love to stumble on the company who does these!

You don't have to order the filet. I did two of them. Went over by less than $5 at both but since there were leftovers it was okay. Tip: if you arrive before 6 PM, the small plates are $4 each. You have to order two of those, and it only saves you $1 or so, but just a heads up.

Shopping since 1995; full-time since 2009. Blogging about shopping on www.myfrugalmiser.com.

minuet00 Wrote:
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> A center cut filet at Olive Garden? I have never
> ordered fish there.
> I'm rather curious about this shop, would love to
> stumble on the company who does these!

A filet is a steak.

Hmm I haven't seen these..is it a regional shop maybe?

Floating around like a feather hoping the wind will set me down somewhere awesome.

Lelou Wrote:
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> Hmm I haven't seen these..is it a regional shop
> maybe?

No, they are checking the new menu/process nationwide. Same MSC does almost all the chains for the client.

You know, off topic kinda here..I've never eaten at this restaurant. Is it good?

Some people like it a lot. It's pretty good. I seldom eat here except at lunch - all you can eat soup and salad. I find Carino's much better. I also like Buca and Carraba's better.

I haven't heard of the jobs

Guess, it's back to the grindstone, looking for them. With my luck, they'll be gone in my area.

With this MSC it's very possible you're signed up but don't see them unless you have a high rating with them. I'd love to do a couple, but as always 2 people required. :/

As for if it's good, it's ok, love the breadsticks, but as far as the food, Macaroni Grill is 10x better at roughly the same price.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

I am 99% sure I am signed up with the company but the OG shops haven't appeared yet. Are they normally done everywhere? I have a couple OG near me.

Perhaps you can stay under budget if you only have to order the "Cucina Mia." If you have to order the center cut filet, I don't know how you can stay within budget. What does your entire meal look like?

I did a lunch shop and was under by $8 including tip. I think the reimbursement is the same for lunch and dinner which doesn't make a lot of sense.

We found the reimbursement low and the ordering requirements too restrictive. We won't be repeating and I suspect the shops won't be around long as they are all about the new menu. We can get better, authentic Italian, at lower prices and with cheap Restaurant.com gift certificates without a report to write. So even as a 'discount coupon' this shop is uninteresting.

I passed the test and was too booked in March to try and schedule one. I keep getting emails to do one in a couple locations this coming week but I'm too booked up to do it. I love OG normally so am hoping to try this shop next month if they are still doing it.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/08/2014 05:47PM by mleighb.

Again, two drinks, an appetizer, a new entree item and a center cut filer item, plus tax and tip... $50? How do you all pull it off?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/08/2014 09:17PM by LindaM.

I run into the same problem doing Benihanna's. If you have to order at least one drink, an appetizer, a tempura side order, AND a dessert if not included?? It's extremely hard if not impossible after tips etc to stay close to your allotment when you're required to order so many things.

I would drive across the whole state to get a Benihana shop!

cease

bgriffin Wrote:
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> With this MSC it's very possible you're signed up
> but don't see them unless you have a high rating
> with them. I'd love to do a couple, but as always
> 2 people required. :/

Is this an non-sassie, non-prophet, non-anthing else platform company? I think I've found it if it is, but once I signed up, all I can see are a couple of apt. shops. Am I on the right track, and if I am, do I have to do other shops before I can see the OG shops?

DRJ Wrote:
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> bgriffin Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > With this MSC it's very possible you're signed
> up
> > but don't see them unless you have a high
> rating
> > with them. I'd love to do a couple, but as
> always
> > 2 people required. :/
>
>
> Is this an non-sassie, non-prophet, non-anthing
> else platform company? I think I've found it if
> it is, but once I signed up, all I can see are a
> couple of apt. shops. Am I on the right track,
> and if I am, do I have to do other shops before I
> can see the OG shops?

I have never seen apartments with the MSC, but may be in your area they do. You can always look at different, large states to get an idea of the clients.

KateH Wrote:

I have never seen apartments with the MSC, but may be in your area they do. You can always look at different, large states to get an idea of the clients.

Oops. It's not an apartment, it's a carpet cleaning shop. Anyway, I took you suggestion to look at other states and that seems to be all they have.

Back to the drawing board.

Whoever they're with doesn't do all of the Darden Restaurants because I just did a Smokey Bones shop and I've never seen any of the other Darden Restaurants listed with that MSC.

@DRJ, that's why I said almost all! The wings and the lower down the tree chains are done by other companies.

AustinMom Wrote:
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> Some people like it a lot. It's pretty good. I
> seldom eat here except at lunch - all you can eat
> soup and salad. I find Carino's much better. I
> also like Buca and Carraba's better.

I like Carrabba's, Olive Garden, Buca, in that order.
Olive Garden's soup/salad/bread has the best value of the three.

Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@

~Polish Proverb~

gogogirl Wrote:
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> I did a lunch shop and was under by $8 including
> tip. I think the reimbursement is the same for
> lunch and dinner which doesn't make a lot of
> sense.

How could you be under that much? I'm curious, which appetizer did you order? Mine was around $9 and I ended up $3 over.

Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@

~Polish Proverb~

DRJ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> KateH Wrote:
>
> Whoever they're with doesn't do all of the Darden
> Restaurants because I just did a Smokey Bones shop
> and I've never seen any of the other Darden
> Restaurants listed with that MSC.

The Smokey Bones have split from the Darden chain. This happened about 5 (??) years ago.
The food at SB is inconsistent - good one meal, bad the next. Olive Garden is not shopped from the SB sassie msc.

Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@

~Polish Proverb~

I do not think that if you signed up for the MSC today that you would be able to see the shop - I had to do one of the lower shops with this company before I started seeing the better ones. This company is talked about quite a bit on the boards though, with high reviews.

Some do require you order the center cut filet, mine did. I went $12 over, including tip. I have no idea how someone could be under the reimbursement for dinner. My DH could have saved $3-4 on his entree if he got a cheaper one, and maybe $1 on the app if we would have been there earlier, but we still would have been over.

I found the report to be pretty easy though, so I did it. I would probably do it again, because I enjoy eating there. I am guessing they will not be posted again though, they were just checking the new menu.

I communicated with the scheduler about changing to a different location. She indicated it will be shopped again in a few months .

Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@

~Polish Proverb~

cubbiecat Wrote:
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> I communicated with the scheduler about changing
> to a different location. She indicated it will be
> shopped again in a few months .

That is good news, thanks

I did the rush lunch order and did not have to order an appetizer. One of us order soup, salad and pasta side - the other ordered the new burger and a side salad.

Can you eat at the Olive Garden for $50? Ordering requirement - one appetizer & two entrees & two non-water drinks. Is this possible? It is tempting but I'm not sure it is worth it if I have to order the least expensive or if I have to go over. Please do tell!

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