ORLANDO, Fla. – Olive Garden Italian Restaurant on Jan. 23 opened its first location in Alaska. The restaurant is a division of Darden Restaurants, Inc. The new 7,441 sq. ft. eatery is in Anchorage. Darden will open another location in South Anchorage later in 2012.

"We are excited to open the first Olive Garden in Alaska and are honored to join the Anchorage community," said Dan Kiernan, executive vice president of operations for Olive Garden. "Our team here in Anchorage is looking forward to delivering a great dining experience for all of our guests."