On social media and clickbait sites, claims circulated that Olive Garden would “close all 900 of its restaurants” on Thanksgiving and Christmas calcoasttimes.com. In truth, Olive Garden’s official policy has long been to close every location on those holidays – a practice explicitly noted on the chain’s FAQ page olivegarden.com. As CalCoast Times reports, the viral shutdown story is baseless: “Contrary to viral reports, Olive Garden is not closing all 900 restaurants nationwide in a two-phase shutdown” calcoasttimes.com. Industry observers emphasize this isn’t a new development, but simply the chain keeping its customary holiday hours. For example, Olive Garden’s website plainly states restaurants are closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas so employees can spend time with family olivegarden.com.
