Thread: AL - Olive Garden - No American flags at Kiwanis meeting.

Olive Garden parent company responds after Oxford restaurant refused to allow American flag in dining area

Published: Wednesday, October 12, 2011, 11:18 AM

ANNISTON, Alabama — Officials with the parent company of Olive Garden restaurants say they're sorry if a decision regarding an Alabama Kiwanis club's desire to display the American flag caused any concern.

The comments come after 80-year-old Marti Warren of Anniston said she wasn't allowed to bring an American flag into an Olive Garden for a planned Kiwanis Club banquet in the east Alabama town of Oxford.

Warren tells WBRC-TV that she learned the night of the banquet that she wouldn't be allowed to display the flag or the Kiwanis banner in the restaurant.

Orlando-based parent firm Darden Restaurants said in a statement that the Oxford Olive Garden lacks a private dining area, and is unable to accommodate flags or banners of any type to avoid disrupting the experience of other guests.

http://blog.al.com/wire/2011/10/olive_g ... ny_re.html

is unable to accommodate flags or banners of any type to avoid disrupting the experience of other guests.

Well, in return THIS consumer will be unable to accomodate Olive Garden or any other Darden restaurant with my hard earned money!

The Darden family of restaurants features some of the most recognizable and successful brands in full-service dining: Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52.<<<< THEIR words NOT mine.

Take a peek at their "contact" page:
http://www.darden.com/about/contact_us.asp

The Orlando-based parent firm Darden Restaurants as sure as hell better 'accommodate' the American flag on any and all occasions!

Anyone got a number for these commies?

W

How on EARTH is the flag of OUR country in anyway offensive?

Only in America....

Mailing Address:

PO Box 695011
Orlando, FL 32869-5011




Office Location:

1000 Darden Center Drive
Orlando, FL 32837
407-245-4000

******There were links on the url I gave earlier: I found it interesting they put "diversity" links right up front! ( For the actual links go to the original url)******


Culture & Inclusion:


Diversity Outreach
Supplier Diversity
Workforce Diversity




Foundation
and Community Affairs:


General questions regarding Darden Restaurants' corporate giving or the Darden Restaurants, Inc. Foundation grant application process.




Guest Relations:


For comments, suggestions, and questions about our restaurants, please click on the link of the appropriate restaurant below.
Red Lobster
Olive Garden
LongHorn Steakhouse
The Capital Grille
Bahama Breeze
Seasons 52

Customer service is open 9AM to 4PM eastern time....They were closed cause I was going to tell them (nicely) that they have lost me as a customer

I will be calling and registering my displeasure concerning this policy and I will be avoiding any of their restaurant chains.

Olive Garden: American Flag Display Would ‘Disrupt the Dining Experience’

Posted on October 12, 2011 at 7:59pm by Comments (279)

80-year-old Marti Warren thought she was doing a good thing a little over a month ago when she booked a local Olive Garden restaurant in Oxford, Alabama, to host a Kiwanis club awards banquet. The chapter president got a rude awakening the night of the gathering, however, when restaurant staff refused to allow her to bring an American flag inside the restaurant.

Warren, who lived through World War II and was later part of her local desegregation movement, said, “This is not my country. This is not my country I grew up with.â€

Olive Garden apologizes to Kiwanis Club

Posted: Oct 12, 2011 9:18 PM CDT
Updated: Oct 12, 2011 9:18 PM CDT
By Christy Hutchings

OXFORD, AL (WBRC) - Olive Garden apologizes for refusing to allow 80-year-old Marti Warren bring an American flag into their restaurant during her Kiwanis Club award banquet last week.

Olive Garden issued this statement: "We are very sorry for any misunderstanding about this issue. We do not have a policy at Olive Garden concerning bringing the American flag into our restaurants. Some members of our team were misinformed about company policy by our corporate office. As a company, we take responsibility for that and we regret it. We take pride in how we communicate to our restaurants and we are correcting this so it doesn't happen again. Like all Americans, we have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for the American flag and everything it symbolizes, and we welcome anyone who wishes to bring the flag into our restaurants. In fact, we periodically provide American flag collar pins to our employees to wear while serving guests."

Marti Warren says the vice president of the company contacted her today and will be coming to Oxford to personally apologize to all the Golden K Kiwanis Club members.

http://www.myfoxal.com/story/15681535/o ... wanis-club

In fact, we periodically provide American flag collar pins to our employees to wear while serving guests."

Oh get off the pot!!!! That is a cop out statement. You got caught the flag bothers you because you want a one world government with sustainable diversity that you pick no patriots included...Okay now we should all go to Olive Garden and the other restaurants in the chain "periodically" as well.....if were lucky maybe we will see the pins on that periodic day we go!!!!!!!!!