portions of dough and roll each one into sticks that are about 7 inches long.

Unlimited salad and breadsticks are a major draw. Last year, Olive Garden served 612 million breadsticks and 165 million family style bowls of salad. That's enough for the entire population of the United States to have two servings of salad and two breadsticks each.

It's no longer a secret that Olive Garden's breadsticks aren't made in-house, but where the restaurant actually gets them from isn't common knowledge. According to Darden Restaurants - the company that owns Olive Garden and a number of other chains - Turano Baking Company is the longtime supplier of its breadsticks.

Olive Garden is one of those chain restaurants that will always have a special place in most people's hearts - in large part, because of the breadsticks. The Italian-American chain is known for their unlimited salads, endless pasta offerings and those famously warm, soft breadsticks that make customer feel like family.

So their number one secret for keeping the diners coming in is stressing Olive Garden's value. Unlimited salad and breadsticks are a major draw. Last year, Olive Garden served 612 million breadsticks and 165 million family style bowls of salad.

While origin stories about the original breadstick differ, the Olive Garden breadstick can trace its lineage through two Italian foods: grissini and taralli.

Olive Garden has an industrial-sized bread maker that cooks the dough flawlessly and keeps those golden brown beauties warm until they are served. A fresh batch of breadsticks is cooked every 15 minutes, so you're always guaranteed a hot one.

The Italian-American chain is known for their unlimited salads, endless pasta offerings and those famously warm, soft breadsticks that make customer feel like family.

Over history, the olive has been the symbol of peace, wisdom, glory, fertility, power and purity. 9. HEALTHY – Olives are incredibly healthy fruit (yes, fruit - they are a distant cousin of the peach) containing antioxidants, healthy fats and fiber.

Olive Garden is one of the top casual dining restaurant chains based in the United States specializing in Italian cuisine. A casual dining restaurant comes under the full service dining category and is typically described as an establishment that offers table service and moderately priced food in a casual environment.

Sandra Pedicini of the Orlando Sentinel said that "Darden reinvented the Olive Garden in the 1990s, from a floundering chain into an industry star." As part of a February 2011, Darden analyst conference, the parent group announced it intended to add more than 200 Olive Garden locations in the following few years.

Chicken Shrimp Carbonara, Shrimp Alfredo, and Lasagna Classico are go-to favorites. But you would be lying to yourself if you said that you weren't thinking of those breadsticks. Olive Garden breadsticks can actually be your sole reason to eat there because not only do they fill you up but they are so delicious.

Olive Garden is an American casual dining restaurant chain specializing in Italian–American cuisine. It is a subsidiary of Darden Restaurants, Inc., which is headquartered in Orange County, Florida.

With more than 900 restaurants nationwide, we are uniquely positioned to help fight hunger in the communities we serve. In 2003, we created our Harvest program, where all restaurants gather wholesome, surplus food every day and carefully prepare it for weekly donation to a local non-profit organization.

The fruit (olive) is a drupe that is on average 0.8-1 inch (2-2.5 cm) long. A central pit encloses the seed. A mature seed is covered with a thin, oil-rich fruit that is a black or purplish color. Native Range: The olive tree is native across the Mediterranean region, as well as Africa and Asia.

Regularly eating olives:

• May improve your heart health.
• Provides you with healthy fats.
• Boosts the fiber in your diet.
• Gives you a healthy dose of vitamin E.
• Makes you feel full after snacking.
• Could reduce your cancer risk.
• Helps manage your blood sugar levels.