"MasterChef Junior" And Olive Garden Partner To Give Restaurant Guests The Chance To Vote For New Menu Item

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The hit FOX kids cooking competition series, MASTERCHEF JUNIOR (Fridays, 8/7c), and Olive Garden, the leading Italian restaurant brand, announced a new partnership that allows guests to choose their favorite show-inspired appetizer to stay on the menu. The program and menu items will be announced to viewers on air during the Nov. 13 episode of the Endemol Shine North America produced series.

Watch the in-show announcement here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yweZEpY7-0o&feature=youtu.be

"Olive Garden shares MasterChef Junior's appreciation for the ability of food to bring families together," said Tamaya Petteway, SVP Brand Integrations and Partnerships for Endemol Shine North America. "Partnering with Olive Garden is a natural fit and allows us to bring another unique experience to MASTERCHEF JUNIOR fans."

From Nov. 14 to Dec. 14, Olive Garden guests can vote for their favorite of two new mouth-watering appetizers developed by the Olive Garden chef team in collaboration with MASTERCHEF JUNIOR season 2 winner Logan.

"I loved hearing all of Logan's recipe ideas and seeing his enthusiasm for Olive Garden," said Jim Nuetzi, executive chef for Olive Garden. "I'm excited for families to try and share the new appetizers—since they are so appealing to kids and adults alike—and help us decide which will stay on the menu."

Guests can cast their votes by ordering one of the two items inspired by Logan:

• New! Breadstick Pepperoni Pizza-Breadstick crust topped with smoked mozzarella cheese, giant pepperoni and marinara. Baked fresh in Olive Garden's pizza oven.
• New! Italian Cheese Stuffed Meatballs-Meatballs stuffed with mozzarella, provolone and parmesan cheeses in marinara sauce. Served with warm, crisp breadstick crostini.

The winning appetizer will be announced during a MASTERCHEF JUNIOR episode airing Friday, Dec. 18 and will remain on the menu for up to 12 months on Olive Garden menus across the country.

This is the first-of-its kind partnership for MASTERCHEF JUNIOR and Olive Garden.

To find your nearest Olive Garden restaurant or to order online To Go, visit OliveGarden.com.

Tune in to MASTERCHEF JUNIOR, airing Fridays at 8/7c on FOX.

"Like" MASTERCHEF JUNIOR on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MasterChefJuniorFOX. Follow the series on Twitter @MasterChefJfFOX and join the discussion with #MasterChefJunior. Follow the judges on Twitter: Gordon Ramsay - @gordonramsay; Graham Elliot - @grahamelliot; Christina Tosi - @christinatosi.

ABOUT OLIVE GARDEN
Olive Garden is the leading restaurant in the Italian dining segment with more than 800 restaurants, more than 96,000 employees and more than $3.8 billion in annual sales. Olive Garden is a division of Darden Restaurants, Inc., (NYSE: DRI), which owns and operates more than 1,500 restaurants that generate over $6.8 billion in annual sales. Headquartered in Orlando, Fla., and employing more than 150,000 people, Darden is recognized for a culture that rewards caring for and responding to people. Olive Garden is committed to making a difference in the lives of others in the local community. As part of this commitment, Olive Garden restaurants have donated more than 33 million pounds of food to local community food banks across the country. For more information, visit www.olivegarden.com. Connect with us on Facebook.com/OliveGarden, Twitter.com/OliveGarden and Instagram.com/OliveGarden.

ABOUT MASTERCHEF
MASTERCHEF is produced by Endemol Shine North America and One Potato Two Potato, and is based on a format created by Franc Roddam and Endemol Shine. Elisabeth Murdoch, Eden Gaha, Robin Ashbrook, Gordon Ramsay, Adeline Ramage Rooney, Patricia Llewellyn and Ben Adler serve as executive producers.  

ABOUT ENDEMOL SHINE NORTH AMERICA
Endemol Shine North America delivers world-class content and compelling storytelling to multiple platforms in the U.S. and across the globe. Endemol Shine North America is part of Endemol Shine Group, the newly launched global content creator, producer and distributor with a diverse portfolio of companies in the U.S. that are behind some of the most prominent hit television formats and series in the world. Its Endemol Shine Studios division develops and produces original scripted television programming in the U.S. for global exploitation and Endemol Shine Latino oversees all Spanish-language sales and development in both the U.S. and Mexico. And subsidiary production companies include Authentic Entertainment, Original Media, True Entertainment and 51 Minds Entertainment. In addition, Endemol Shine North America has a strategic partnership with Ryan Seacrest Productions.

Endemol Shine Group's companies in North America are behind hit series including Below Deck (Bravo), Bullseye (FOX), Big Brother (CBS), The Biggest Loser (NBC), Hell on Wheels (AMC), Ink Master (Spike), Kingdom (DirecTV), Knife Fight (Esquire), MasterChef (FOX), MasterChef Junior (FOX), Restaurant Startup (CNBC), Swamp People (History), The Island (NBC), The Real Housewives of Atlanta (Bravo), Steve Harvey (NBCU), T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle (VH1), Steve Austin's Broken Skull Challenge (CMT) and many more.

Contact: Julie Holland, [email protected]

SOURCE Endemol Shine North America