A new survey has found that Olive Garden is the top casual dining chain of choice for baby boomers, as well as for Gen X and millennials, though Gen Z diners favour Chili's instead. The findings, drawn from YouGov's US restaurant brand rankings, matter because they highlight how loyalty to casual dining chains varies significantly across generations, with Olive Garden proving to have unusually broad appeal while younger diners are breaking from the pack.

YouGov surveyed 7,500 adults aged 65 and over, and 33.8% said they would choose Olive Garden over rivals such as Texas Roadhouse (28.2%), Applebee's (24.7%), Cracker Barrel (24%) and Outback Steakhouse (22.1%). The Florida-based chain, founded in 1982, also topped rankings for service and dining experience among Americans overall, and a separate Morning Consult report found it leads on family outings, avoidance of cooking and portion size. The exception was the 18-29 age group, where Chili's narrowly beat Olive Garden, 29.6% to 28.7%.