Olive Garden Pasta Passes Sell Out In Under A Second — Were You Able To Score One?

Michael says he never had a chance at unlimited pasta.

There are only 2,000 people who were able to score one of Olive Garden’s Pasta Passes today, and it sounds like they must have the ability to click must faster than everyone else who tried — and failed — to get one: Olive Garden says all 2,000 passes sold out in under a second.

There were 1,000 Pasta Passes up for grabs for individual diners at $100 a pop and 1,000 more “family” passes for $300 each that allow bearers to bring up to three people along for unlimited pasta during the seven-week promotional window. And they were all gone in under a second.

“Never had a chance to buy a pass,” Consumerist reader Michael writes, saying he watched the countdown clock until 11 a.m. PDT and “immediately” received the message that the passes were sold out.

We confirmed with Olive Garden that the passes sold out lickety-split, with a spokeswoman telling us that at sale time, the “system allowed in the first 2,000 guests to purchase the available Pasta Passes, which occurred in less than a second.”

Those who were left bereft did get a coupon for 10% off any adult entrée at Olive Garden, the rep added, noting that there’s still hope — if you feel like engaging with the brand on social media: “Guests can follow Olive Garden’s social media channels where we’ll be giving away Pasta Passes.”

Were you one of the 2,000? Let us know: tips@consumerist.com. Just don’t go power mad and try to make the Consumerist team your vassals. That’s already been tried and it didn’t work.

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist