According to an Instagram announcement, Olive Garden plans to open a new restaurant at 340 The Boardwalk in Waterloo, with an opening targeted for late spring 2027. The restaurant’s location page lists it as coming soon, but no official opening date has been announced.
Olive Garden is known for its never-ending soup, salad and breadsticks, along with house-made sauces and classic Italian-American dishes such as Alfredo pasta and meatballs.
The address is the former home of Swiss Chalet, which closed this fall after 16 years at the Waterloo location, according to CityNews Kitchener.
Olive Garden’s job postings, including those on its own job board, show that the company is hiring managers for the new restaurant, according to blogTO. The Waterloo restaurant would be part of Olive Garden’s return to Ontario.
Recipe, the Canadian restaurant company that acquired Olive Garden’s eight existing Canadian restaurants from Darden Restaurants in July 2025, has since opened locations in Ajax, Ottawa and Vaughan, according to blogTO.
What Now Toronto has tracked the chain’s Ontario comeback. The outlet previously reported on the Ajax location, where Frank Hennessey, CEO of Recipe Restaurant Group, called each new opening “a meaningful step in our national expansion.”
For more information, follow Olive Garden on Instagram.
