Chains double down on small plates
Small-plates menus are exploding — big chains like Olive Garden and Cheesecake Factory are rolling petite, lower-cost portions to capture value-conscious diners and boost frequency social trend thread follow-up chatter.
Olive Garden is piloting a “Lighter Portion Entrées” section at roughly 40% of its 933 restaurants, offering downsized versions of seven existing entrees while keeping unlimited breadsticks and soup or salad restaurantbusinessonline.com. The Cheesecake Factory added two new categories—“Bites” (eight small plates) and “Bowls” (six bowls)—as a 14-item menu expansion the company rolled out in summer 2025, with prices positioned roughly in the sub-$10 to $16 range. nrn.com National outlets report the small-portion push is widespread: The Associated Press/ABC, U.S. News and regional papers flagged a surge of petite-menu launches across chains in March 2026, citing multiple brand rollouts and restaurant executives. abcnews.com Early results from Olive Garden’s test showed a 15% increase in affordability scores at participating units and executives described the trial as “encouraging” on an earnings call, prompting plans for a broader rollout. restaurantbusinessonline.com
