Olive Garden slated to sell 21,000 unlimited pasta passes
It's that time of year again, folks.
No, not pumpkin spice season. Olive Garden is gearing up to sell its coveted $100 Never Ending Pasta Passes on Sept. 15.
The 21st annual promotion is bumping up the number of passes it will sell this year tenfold. Last year, the Italian restaurant chain sold out of 2,000 passes in less than a minute. This year, it will offer up 21,000.
"Within seconds of last year's Pasta Pass sale beginning, our most enthusiastic fans clicked 'purchase,' becoming part of an exclusive club and the envy of pasta lovers everywhere," Jose Duenas, executive vice president of marketing for Olive Garden, said in a statement.
The passes will be on sale for one hour starting at 2 p.m. EST or until all the passes have been claimed.
Starting Oct. 3, those who are able to obtain a pasta pass will be treated to seven weeks of unlimited pasta, sauces and toppings, soup or salad, breadsticks and Coca-Cola–branded soft drinks. In addition, the company has added Chicken Alfredo to the lineup of free pastas.
There is one caveat to this deal, however. Customers can only use the pass for dining in.
If you can't get your hands on a pasta pass on Thursday, don't worry. The company is slated to auction off additional passes on eBay, but they'll likely cost you more than $100. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to Feeding America.
Olive Garden did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.