Waukee may get its first Olive Garden restaurant as part of a new shopping center

The home of endless breadsticks and salad plans to come to Waukee, marking the popular Italian restaurant chain's first location in the city and the westernmost among its Des Moines metro spots.

Andy Kass, Waukee's community development director, did not know the construction timeline for the proposed Olive Garden. Plans are in the process of being approved for the proposed site at 420 S.E. Alice's Road.

Waukee's Planning and Zoning Commission was scheduled to vote on the plans Tuesday night. Kass said the site plan may be on Waukee City Council's Aug. 5 agenda.

A spokesperson for Olive Garden did not immediately return a request for comment.

Where to find Olive Garden in the Des Moines metro

There currently are three other Olive Garden locations in the metro: 770 S.E. Oralabor Road in Ankeny, 6157 S.E. 14th St. in Des Moines and 3600 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines .

The Waukee location would be part of Waukee Towne Center, a 62-acre retail, dining and entertainment complex to be southwest of the intersection of Hickman and Southeast Alice's roads. Target broke ground in May 2023 to be the 148,000 square-foot anchor tenant.

The complex also is planned to have an array of other retailers, green space and an 8-acre lake, access to the Raccoon River Valley Trail, a playground, an amphitheater and an ice-skating rink.

Waukee City Council in April unanimously approved a site plan for the southwest section of the property that will include the skating rink, amphitheater, playground and lakeside buildings. But the plans did not include the exact details of any buildings — which will need later approval — and only allowed work to move forward on utility infrastructure and parking lots.

Mike Pierson, who co-owns the development company Pierson Companies with his son Nick Pierson, expected more tenant announcements by late this summer.

Olive Garden will be located on the east side of the property at the southwest corner of the intersection of Southeast Alice's Road and Southeast Laurel Street, according to city documents.

More: Fareway still planning second Waukee store, but hasn't set a construction date

Phillip Sitter covers the western suburbs for the Des Moines Register. Phillip can be reached via email at psitter@gannett.com or on X at @pslifeisabeauty.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Waukee may get its first Olive Garden restaurant as part of a new shopping center