In June, Olive Garden began selling pool noodles shaped like some of their most popular pastas. And if you were lucky enough to snag one, you may have picked up a sound investment — the pool floats are selling for almost double on resale sites.
The pasta-shaped pool noodles were available in three designs: Floatin’ Fettuccine, Relaxin’ Rigatoni, and Takin’ It Easy Tortelloni. Each sold for $40 and came with an additional piece of summer-themed branded merchandise — a bucket hat, tote bag, or floating drink holder.
An Olive Garden spokesperson told Entrepreneur that the tortelloni-shaped float sold out a couple of hours after the sale began, while the fettuccine and rigatoni-shaped noodles sold out after two days. Though the company says it is “thrilled” at how popular the floats were, they are “sold out for this summer.” The statement did leave the door open for another drop next year.
“Olive Garden has always been known for going big — big portions, big value, and never-ending first courses,” said Jaime Bunker, Senior Vice President of Marketing, in a statement at the time of the launch. “This summer, we’re bringing that same spirit of abundance to the pool. Our pasta-inspired floats are a larger-than-life way to celebrate the dishes our guests love, and just like in our restaurants, every order starts with a first course.”
There’s currently a tortelloni-shaped float for sale on eBay for $95, and one has already sold somewhere in the $70-$80 range. A fettuccine was listed at $80 (looks like it didn’t sell), but another seller in Livonia, Michigan, is selling the same shape for the original price ($39.99).
In the exact opposite direction, a different seller has listed one of the free gift-with-purchase items (the pasta-float cup holder) for $30.
Related: People Are Reselling This Trader Joe’s Item for $500 Online
In June, Olive Garden began selling pool noodles shaped like some of their most popular pastas. And if you were lucky enough to snag one, you may have picked up a sound investment — the pool floats are selling for almost double on resale sites.
The pasta-shaped pool noodles were available in three designs: Floatin’ Fettuccine, Relaxin’ Rigatoni, and Takin’ It Easy Tortelloni. Each sold for $40 and came with an additional piece of summer-themed branded merchandise — a bucket hat, tote bag, or floating drink holder.
An Olive Garden spokesperson told Entrepreneur that the tortelloni-shaped float sold out a couple of hours after the sale began, while the fettuccine and rigatoni-shaped noodles sold out after two days. Though the company says it is “thrilled” at how popular the floats were, they are “sold out for this summer.” The statement did leave the door open for another drop next year.
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