GONZALES, Louisiana (BRPROUD) – Olive Garden is under construction in Gonzales, but city officials expect more dining options to pop up in the city soon.
Plans for Olive Garden were approved by the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission in February 2022. The restaurant is located on Outfitters Drive in Sportsman’s Park near Hwy 30.
City CAO Scott Bird says the idea came from a businessman named Brent Rose. According to Byrd, Sportsman’s Park is managed by Rhodes.
“Brent is always trying to find another location to fill the hole in the bucket and allow us to occupy some of the empty spots there,” Byrd said. “And I am also working with him to help him. So he managed to get the olive grove.
Byrd says Gonzales doesn’t have one for Italy, and the city has two open restaurant slots. One with an Italian theme and one with a BBQ theme.
Byrd said the new restaurant would cost the city a penny.
“It would be in the city’s interest,” Byrd said. “Most local governments exempt sales tax, so this is good for us.”
A new restaurant is currently under construction, but it is not without its challenges. Rising costs and supply chain issues have taken some time to get off the ground as Bird hoped. The good news is that Bird doesn’t think construction should affect traffic .
Byrd said Mayor Bernie Arceneaux is looking forward to this additional restaurant coming to the city to give residents more dining options.
There may be more options for Gonzalez in the near future. Byrd says Sonny’s BBQ is coming to Heritage Crossing, along with his Agave Blue, which Byrd describes as an upscale Mexican restaurant.
“The more options we have, the better our quality of life,” Byrd said.