Yes, the ceo of Somerville does not want an Olive Garden here.

clearly he has been to one... good call mayor! Lets hope that they can bring in some local businesses - I would love to see a Barbara Lynch or Ken Oringer place come north of the city. No one wants to see another set of "strip-mall" style restaurants.

If you want to eat in a place where we are encouraged to throw your garbage on the floor go to everett. The exception I would have is Legal Seafood which is originally a local business and well known to treat their employees and customers well.

Legal would probably survive there due to it being popular and their high prices. They are not as crowded now as they used to be so the prices help them to keep them going. Olive Garden is much wanted by the people of Somerville, I work in the public sector and I hear all the time how people want that here. I have never been in one myself. For these places to survive they need volume business because of the high overhead, you are going to have places coming and going because they simply won't make enough to survive there. I am only talking business wise. We may go out maybe 5 to 6 times in a year. Mostly to the Mount Vernon or 99 to take my parents out as that is what they like. So to me it does not matter. We don't want a bunch of empty store fronts like the rest of the city there either. No city revenue there.