Culinary Institute of Tuscany Fact Sheet

								
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
             	
  
	
  
	
  
                                                                                                                                                           	
  
	
  
                                                                                                                                                           	
  
                                                                                                                                                   Fact	
  Sheet	
  
	
  
Olive	
  Garden	
  takes	
  pride	
  in	
  its	
  connections	
  to	
  Italy,	
  its	
  culture	
  and	
  its	
  people.	
  In	
  the	
  spirit	
  of	
  Italian	
  
generosity	
  and	
  in	
  order	
  to	
  bring	
  guests	
  the	
  most	
  authentic	
  Italian	
  culinary	
  experience,	
  employees	
  
immerse	
  themselves	
  in	
  the	
  best	
  that	
  Italian	
  heritage	
  and	
  culture	
  has	
  to	
  offer	
  at	
  Olive	
  Garden’s	
  Culinary	
  
Institute	
  of	
  Tuscany	
  in	
  Italy.	
  	
  	
  
	
  
An	
  Overview:	
  Culinary	
  Institute	
  of	
  Tuscany	
  	
  
For	
  more	
  than	
  a	
  decade,	
  Olive	
  Garden	
  has	
  been	
  sending	
  employees	
  to	
  its	
  Culinary	
  Institute	
  of	
  Tuscany,	
  
which	
  is	
  located	
  in	
  the	
  heart	
  of	
  an	
  11th	
  century	
  village	
  on	
  the	
  450-­‐acre	
  Riserva	
  di	
  Fizzano	
  property.	
  	
  The	
  
property	
  is	
  also	
  home	
  to	
  the	
  Rocca	
  delle	
  Macie	
  Winery	
  and	
  owned	
  by	
  Olive	
  Garden’s	
  Italian	
  partners,	
  
the	
  Zingarelli	
  family.	
  	
  At	
  the	
  Culinary	
  Institute	
  of	
  Tuscany,	
  Olive	
  Garden	
  chefs	
  and	
  restaurant	
  managers	
  
learn	
  the	
  secrets	
  of	
  great	
  Italian	
  cooking	
  –	
  like	
  how	
  to	
  combine	
  fresh	
  ingredients,	
  layer	
  flavors	
  and	
  pair	
  
food	
  with	
  Italian	
  wines	
  to	
  create	
  authentic,	
  delicious	
  meals	
  they	
  can	
  share	
  with	
  family	
  and	
  friends.	
  	
  
	
  
Extending	
  the	
  Olive	
  Garden	
  Family	
  
In	
  1999,	
  Olive	
  Garden	
  partnered	
  with	
  the	
  Zingarelli	
  family,	
  proprietors	
  of	
  Riserva	
  di	
  Fizzano	
  in	
  Tuscany,	
  
to	
  establish	
  the	
  Olive	
  Garden	
  culinary	
  school.	
  Located	
  on	
  the	
  grounds	
  of	
  the	
  Rocca	
  delle	
  Macie	
  Winery,	
  
the	
  Culinary	
  Institute	
  of	
  Tuscany	
  welcomes	
  Olive	
  Garden	
  team	
  members	
  from	
  November	
  through	
  March	
  
and	
  serves	
  as	
  a	
  Bed	
  and	
  Breakfast	
  to	
  travelers	
  the	
  rest	
  of	
  the	
  year.	
  	
  
	
  
Colvita®	
  Extra	
  Virgin	
  Olive	
  Oil	
  is	
  another	
  close	
  Italian	
  partner,	
  supplying	
  the	
  restaurant’s	
  olive	
  oil	
  as	
  well	
  
as	
  co-­‐sponsoring	
  the	
  annual	
  Culinary	
  Tour	
  of	
  Italy	
  sweepstakes	
  that	
  awards	
  four	
  winners	
  an	
  insider’s	
  
look	
  into	
  the	
  Culinary	
  Institute	
  of	
  Tuscany	
  and	
  a	
  trip	
  of	
  a	
  lifetime	
  to	
  Italy.	
  
	
  
Culinary	
  Institute	
  of	
  Tuscany	
  Graduates	
  
More	
  than	
  1200	
  Olive	
  Garden	
  chefs	
  and	
  managers	
  throughout	
  the	
  U.S.	
  have	
  traveled	
  to	
  Italy	
  to	
  learn	
  the	
  
essentials	
  of	
  Italian	
  cuisine	
  and	
  become	
  immersed	
  in	
  the	
  culture.	
  Participants	
  begin	
  their	
  experience	
  in	
  
Sienna,	
  travel	
  to	
  Florence	
  and	
  then	
  complete	
  the	
  trip	
  in	
  Rome.	
  During	
  the	
  trip	
  they	
  partake	
  in	
  activities	
  
such	
  as	
  visits	
  to	
  local	
  markets	
  and	
  meet-­‐and-­‐greets	
  with	
  Italian	
  chefs.	
  Upon	
  their	
  return,	
  graduates	
  not	
  
only	
  have	
  an	
  enhanced	
  appreciation	
  for	
  Italian	
  fare	
  and	
  culture,	
  they	
  also	
  have	
  a	
  deeper	
  understanding	
  
for	
  the	
  meaning	
  of	
  Hospitaliano,	
  Olive	
  Garden’s	
  passion	
  for	
  100%	
  guest	
  delight.	
  
	
  
For	
  more	
  information:	
  
Visit	
  http://www.olivegarden.com/culinary/cit/	
  	
  or	
  	
  http://www.facebook.com/OliveGarden.	
  	
  
	
  
For	
  media	
  inquiries,	
  contact:	
  
Heidi	
  Schauer	
   	
                  	
            	
            	
         Megan	
  Lagesse	
  
hschauer@darden.com	
  	
  	
  	
                      	
            	
         megan.lagesse@edelman.com	
  	
  
407-­‐245-­‐5642	
   	
                  	
            	
            	
         312-­‐240-­‐2924	
  
                                                                                        	
  
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