Why does Olive Garden give out mints after every meal?

(WHTM) – If you have been to an Olive Garden, you probably have been given a bunch of silver-wrapped mints when the check is presented and when your meal is over.

So, why does the restaurant do that?

“Olive Garden began giving guests complimentary mints at the end of their meals more than 35 years ago. Much like our tradition of unlimited breadsticks and never-ending first course, the end-of-meal mint is a way for Olive Garden to share its hospitality and Italian generosity with guests,” an Olive Garden spokesperson told Nexstar’s WHTM.

The mints are made by the Andes Mint Company. The candies feature a thin layer of chocolate with a crème de menthe flavoring. The design and wrapper of the candy can only be found at Olive Garden, although you can buy Andes mints at local retailers or on Amazon.

The same recipe is used, but the design of the Olive Garden mint is different than what you would find anywhere else in the country.

Olive Garden was founded in 1982 by General Mills – it was the multinational food company’s first restaurant. It was then acquired in the mid-’90s by Darden Restaurants. The restaurant company owns other restaurants such as Red Lobster.

Olive Garden has over 875 locations in the United States.