- False Panic: Despite viral claims (even a tabloid headline) that “all 900 Olive Garden locations” will close for Thanksgiving and Christmas, the chain’s own FAQ confirms all restaurants are closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day every year to let staff be with family olivegarden.com. There is no credible evidence of a new nationwide shutdown, and recent reporting concludes Olive Garden will not shutter its entire footprint 1 .
- Industry Trend: In fact, many large retailers and chains are choosing to close on Thanksgiving. University of Cincinnati professor Laurens Steed notes that research shows giving workers time off for holidays boosts morale with minimal sales impact – “taking time away from work is good for employees… It can be worth so much” to those staff uc.edu. Major companies like Best Buy, Walmart and others have publicly made this shift.
- Darden Performance: Parent company Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI), which owns Olive Garden, is financially strong. 2025 Q2 sales grew ~6% year-over-year, and CEO Rick Cardenas reported that Olive Garden and other core brands “generated positive same-restaurant sales” prnewswire.com. Analysts note Darden “topped estimates and raised its dividend,” suggesting consumer dining demand remains solid ts2.tech. Darden stock was about $185 on Oct 13, 2025 investing.com, and Wall Street remains bullish: J.P. Morgan maintained an “overweight” rating with a ~$230 price target (implying ~18% upside) nasdaq.com. No industry insider expects any sudden chainwide closures at Olive Garden.
- Travel Forecast: Thanksgiving 2025 is shaping up for heavy travel and mixed weather. Historically, about 80 million Americans travel for Thanksgiving (a record level seen in 2024 newsroom.aaa.com). AAA and INRIX data warn of extreme congestion Tuesday–Wednesday before the holiday. The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts a “patchwork” weather map on Nov 27: mostly sunny, slightly cool conditions in the East and wet, stormy weather out West (heavy rain from the Pacific Northwest through California) marthastewart.com. Only a few far-northern areas (northern New England, Upper Midwest, high Rockies) may see light snow. In general, driving on Thanksgiving Day itself should be relatively clear.
- Holiday Costs: Thanksgiving dinner costs may rise. New analysis from the American Farm Bureau warns that avian diseases have cut turkey flocks and pushed wholesale turkey prices up ~40% vs. last year americanagnetwork.com. Farm Bureau economist Bernt Nelson stresses there will be enough turkey supply but higher production costs will likely translate to higher retail prices americanagnetwork.com. In short, shoppers should expect to pay more for turkey and some side dishes this year, even though overall meal costs remain below peak 2022 levels.
Rumors vs. Reality at Olive Garden
On social media and clickbait sites (notably a Sun tabloid story), 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 2 .
Experts point out that giving staff holidays is generally positive. UC’s Laurens Steed (quoted by USA Today) explains that allowing employees to “take time away from work” on Thanksgiving improves well-being without seriously hurting sales uc.edu. He notes it’s unlikely that one extra day of Black Friday shopping would dent a retail giant’s profits, whereas “getting to spend a holiday with the people you care about can be worth so much” to a worker uc.edu. Olive Garden (and its parent Darden) benefit from this goodwill. Notably, Darden’s leadership has given similar paid holidays: for example, Olive Garden restaurants already closed on these holidays in past years, as part of normal scheduling. The panic over a “mass shutdown” is therefore a misinterpretation of normal holiday closures.
Darden Restaurants: Financial and Industry Outlook
Beyond holiday hours, Darden Restaurants’ recent performance has been robust. In Darden’s latest earnings release, CEO Rick Cardenas affirmed a “strong quarter”, highlighting that Olive Garden (with LongHorn, Yard House, etc.) drove positive same-store sales prnewswire.com. Market analysts concur: for instance, financial news on Sep 26, 2025 noted that “Darden (owner of Olive Garden) topped estimates and raised its dividend, suggesting the U.S. consumer is still eating out despite inflation” ts2.tech. In practical terms, Darden’s revenue grew year-over-year even amid higher costs, and the company continues to open new locations in growth markets.
Investors seem unperturbed by the closure rumors. Darden stock (DRI) traded around $185/share on Oct 13 (a modest uptick over the week) investing.com. Analysts remain upbeat: as of early Oct 2025, the average one-year price target for Darden was about $227.5 nasdaq.com – roughly 18% above recent levels. JP Morgan maintained an “Overweight” rating on DRI (Oct 6, 2025) with a $230 target nasdaq.com. In short, forecasts for Darden’s growth and dividends remain positive. We find no credible analyst expecting a sudden collapse of the Olive Garden brand.
Thanksgiving 2025: Travel, Weather and Costs
With the Olive Garden scare debunked, attention turns to real holiday concerns. Travel experts warn that Thanksgiving 2025 will be exceptionally busy. AAA data from last year showed nearly 80 million Americans traveling 50+ miles for Thanksgiving (air and car) newsroom.aaa.com. Congestion modeling (INRIX/AAA) predicts the worst driving delays Tuesday–Wednesday before Thanksgiving, with relatively clear roads on the holiday itself newsroom.aaa.com. In parallel, The Old Farmer’s Almanac (via USA Today/Martha Stewart) has issued a region-by-region Thanksgiving forecast. It calls for a “patchwork” weather week: sunny and seasonably cool conditions in much of the East, while the entire West (especially southern Pacific Northwest, California and Nevada) sees steady rain marthastewart.com. Only a few northern areas (northern New England, Upper Midwest, high Rocky elevations) might see light snow flurries marthastewart.com. Travelers should thus prepare for wet roads in the West and pack jackets in the Northeast.
On the consumer side, holiday meal costs are a concern. U.S. turkey production will meet demand, but industry groups warn of higher prices. An October report by the Farm Bureau (American Ag Network) explains that avian flu and other diseases have struck ~18 million turkeys since 2022, spiking wholesale prices ~40% americanagnetwork.com. Economist Bernt Nelson notes this “shouldn’t have any impact on consumers’ ability to get turkey,” but retail prices may be higher this season americanagnetwork.com. In other words, shoppers should expect to pay noticeably more for turkey and gravy than last year. (Side dishes and other staples also track inflation; Farm Bureau will publish a full Thanksgiving dinner cost survey on Nov. 19.) Still, despite rising costs, experts emphasize that enough birds will be available – the challenge is price, not supply 3 .
Market Impact and Forecasts
In summary, the Olive Garden shutdown frenzy appears to be the latest viral hoax, not a genuine corporate plan. CalCoast Times concludes “the Olive Garden legacy – and the breadsticks – remain secure for the foreseeable future” calcoasttimes.com. Financially and operationally, Darden is expanding and investor confidence is steady ts2.tech nasdaq.com. Meanwhile, Thanksgiving travel and weather are real concerns. Forecasters recommend travelers check the latest weather maps and allow extra time given the expected crowds marthastewart.com newsroom.aaa.com. Ultimately, planning a safe holiday involves focusing on verified forecasts and official announcements – not sensationalized social media posts.
Sources: Authoritative news and expert analysis from USA Today/Old Farmer’s Almanac marthastewart.com, University of Cincinnati (USA Today) uc.edu, CalCoast Times calcoasttimes.com, official Olive Garden FAQs olivegarden.com, Darden Financial Reports prnewswire.com, Agricultural industry reports americanagnetwork.com americanagnetwork.com, and market research (TS2/finance sites) ts2.tech nasdaq.com. These confirm holiday hours, weather outlook, travel and cost forecasts, and the true financial picture behind the rumors.
