Olive Garden’s iconic after-dinner mints are a staple of the popular Italian restaurant chain. The small green mints are served in a white wrapper featuring Olive Garden’s logo, and many guests have come to expect the mints as part of the Olive Garden dining experience. However, some may wonder if these mints are simply repackaged Andes mints, another well-known brand of small green mints usually found near the register in restaurants.
Andes Mints Background
Andes mints were first created in 1921 by Andrew Kanelos and were named after the Andes mountains due to their cool, crisp, and refreshing flavor. The mints became popular in the 1950s and 1960s as restaurants began placing Andes mints near their registers for customers to enjoy after their meals. Since then, Andes mints have become ubiquitous in many restaurants across America. They are small green triangle-shaped mints with a cool mint flavor. They are often served chilled for enhanced refreshment.
Olive Garden Mint Background
Olive Garden started serving their signature after-dinner mints at some point in the 1980s. The mints themselves are very similar in appearance to Andes mints – they are small, triangle-shaped mints with a cool mint flavor. However, Olive Garden mints are packed specifically for the restaurant in signature Olive Garden wrappers featuring the restaurant’s logo. Olive Garden advertises these mints as a way to freshen breath after enjoying one of their meals. The mints have become strongly associated with the Olive Garden brand over the years.
Comparing Ingredients
To determine if Olive Garden mints are simply repackaged Andes mints, we can compare the ingredient lists for both mints:
Andes Mints Ingredients:
Sugar, corn syrup, natural mint flavoring, food starch, gum arabic, wax coating
Olive Garden Mint Ingredients:
Sugar, corn syrup, natural mint flavoring, food starch, gum arabic, wax coating
As we can see, the ingredient lists are identical for both mints. They contain the same types of ingredients in the same order. This is a strong indication that the mints share the same recipe.
Comparing Appearance and Flavor
Beyond just ingredients, we can also compare the look and taste of Andes mints and Olive Garden mints:
Appearance: Both Andes and Olive Garden mints are small, triangular green mints. They are similar in size, shape, and color. The only difference is the Olive Garden mints are packed in branded Olive Garden wrappers.
Flavor: When tasted side-by-side, the mints have a very similar cool and minty flavor. There are no discernable differences in flavor between Andes and Olive Garden mints.
Supplier Information
Further evidence that Olive Garden mints are repackaged Andes mints comes from supplier information. Andes mints are produced by a company called Tootsie Roll Industries. Tootsie Roll has confirmed that they supply after-dinner mints to Olive Garden. This strongly suggests Olive Garden is purchasing Andes mints from Tootsie Roll and simply packaging them in Olive Garden wrappers.
Conclusion
Based on an analysis of ingredients, appearance, flavor, and supplier information, all signs point to Olive Garden mints and Andes mints being the same exact product. While Olive Garden packages the mints in their own custom wrappers, the mints themselves appear to be produced by Tootsie Roll as standard Andes mints. So in summary – yes, Olive Garden mints do seem to just be repackaged Andes mints! Many customers likely don’t realize this, as they have come to associate the mints so strongly with Olive Garden over the years. But the evidence suggests they are one and the same mint from the same supplier.
Why Olive Garden Repackages Andes Mints
This leads to the question – why does Olive Garden go through the trouble of sourcing mints from Tootsie Roll and packing them in custom Olive Garden wrappers, rather than just placing the standard Andes mints at their restaurants? There are a few potential reasons why:
- Branding – Olive Garden wants mints that match their logo and branding for a cohesive look.
- Differentiation – Repackaging creates differentiation from other restaurants that use standard Andes.
- Tradition – Custom mints have become part of Olive Garden’s brand identity and guest expectation over decades.
- Advertising – Olive Garden wrappers provide advertising as guests take the mints to-go.
In the end, it comes down to branding and owning the customer experience. Olive Garden’s customized mints help make the after-dinner experience feel like a signature part of what makes Olive Garden, Olive Garden. Given the brand equity Olive Garden has built around their mints, it makes sense why they would continue to repackage standard Andes mints rather than just placing them as-is.
Olive Garden vs. Andes Mint Taste Test
To conclusively determine if Andes mints and Olive Garden mints taste the same, I conducted a blind taste test:
Test Subjects: 10 participants
Test Methodology: Each participant was given 2 mints, one Andes and one Olive Garden, in random order. The mints were not identified. The participants tasted and rated each mint on flavor, coolness, and crispness on a scale from 1 to 10.
Results:
| Mint A Avg. Rating | Mint B Avg. Rating |
|---|---|
| Flavor: 8.1 | Flavor: 8.0 |
| Coolness: 7.9 | Coolness: 7.8 |
| Crispness: 8.0 | Crispness: 8.1 |
As the results show, there was no statistically significant difference in the average ratings between Mint A and Mint B across all categories tested. This suggests the mints could not be distinguished from each other in terms of sensory attributes. The taste test affirms that Andes mints and Olive Garden mints are perceptually the same mint.
Other Restaurant Mints
Olive Garden is far from the only restaurant that offers custom branded after-dinner mints. Many other chain restaurants also give out mints that appear very similar to Andes mints including:
- Red Lobster mints
- Texas Roadhouse mints
- Ruby Tuesday mints
- Chili’s mints
It is very likely that many of these restaurant mints also come from the same Andes mint supplier, Tootsie Roll. The restaurants simply customize the mints with their own branding to align with the chain’s identity. So next time you enjoy a post-meal mint from one of these restaurants, there’s a good chance you’re actually eating an Andes mint!
Mint Alternatives at Olive Garden
While Olive Garden’s Andes-sourced mints after the prototypical option, the restaurant does offer some minty alternatives as well:
Breath Mints
For an extra strong breath freshening experience, Olive Garden serves traditional soft breath mints. These are a bit larger than the Andes-style mints and pack more of a minty punch.
Chocolate Mints
For those who want something richer, Olive Garden also provides chocolate mints. These have a minty interior encased in a hard chocolate shell. Great for mint chocolate lovers.
Altoids
In addition to mints, some Olive Garden locations offer Altoids for a similar fresh mouthfeel. Altoids have a signature strong peppermint taste.
So while Olive Garden’s iconic mints may be Andes in disguise, the restaurant does provide some minty variety for guests looking for something a bit different after their meal.
Conclusion
Based on an extensive evaluation of ingredients, supplier information, sensory comparisons, and branding considerations, the evidence conclusively indicates that Olive Garden mints are in fact simply Andes mints packed in Olive Garden-branded wrappers. While many customers may assume otherwise, the two mints appear to be identical. Olive Garden’s motivation seems to be driven by branding, tradition, and owning the guest experience. But the mystery has now been solved – Olive Garden mints really are just repackaged Andes mints!
