RESTAURANT NEWS: Dayton-area Olive Garden manager wins national award

The general manager of the Olive Garden restaurant on Miller Lane in Butler Twp. has scored some prestigious national recognition from her parent company.

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Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed

Jodi Otten, who has overseen the restaurant at 6722 Miller Lane and its 130 employees for about two-and-a-half years, won a national “Diamond Club” award from Darden Restaurants, Olive Garden's corporate parent. Otten, who has worked for Darden for 13 years, joins a group of 43 Olive Garden general managers to achieve Diamond Club status out of the more than 850 Olive Garden restaurants in North America, company officials said.

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Darden chooses Diamond Club recipients based on their restaurant’s financial performance and level of customer satisfaction and service. Company officials said in a release that Otten was recognized “for her commitment to delivering guest experiences at the highest level, while making a difference in the lives of guests and team members, as well as in her community.”

“I am so blessed to have such an awesome team here,” Otten said in a phone interview. “We all encourage each other to be our best.”

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Otten, who grew up in Xenia and now lives in Troy, said this is believed to be the first time a Dayton-area Olive Garden manager has achieved Diamond Club status in the 22 years of the award program’s existence.

Credit: Bloomberg

Credit: Bloomberg

“At Olive Garden, we pride ourselves in treating our guests like family, and this would not be possible without leaders like Jodi,” Dan Kiernan, president of Olive Garden, said in a release. “Her passion for service has cultivated a warm and vibrant team culture, making her an incredible asset to both the Dayton community and the Olive Garden family.”

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Darden owns several restaurant brands, including Longhorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen and The Capital Grille.

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