- Bo Gjerness, a 24-year-old in Nebraska, found out you can buy Olive Garden's cheese graters.
- She asked a waiter if they were for sale and was given the grater with a big tub of cheese.
What if you could bring some of the magic of Olive Garden to your home?
Well, thanks to one savvy 24-year-old from Nebraska, now you can.
Bo Gjerness, who lives in Omaha, recently discovered that Olive Garden's iconic cheese graters are available for purchase — all you have to do is ask.
Gjerness posted about her discovery on TikTok, where her video has since racked up more than a million views.
@bo_gjerness literally obsessed with it @Olive Garden #olivegarden #olivegardencheesegrater #olivegardenpasta #neverendingpastabowl ♬ olive garden cheese grater - Bo
Gjerness told Insider that she went to her local Olive Garden recently for her birthday dinner because she wanted to try the chain's never-ending pasta deal.
When the pasta came out and the waiter uttered the chain's iconic "say when" line, Gjerness eyed the cheese grater in his hand.
"I looked at him and said, 'Do you sell those? Can I buy that from you?'" Gjerness recalled. "And he said, 'Actually, we do.'"
Gjerness said the waiter gave her a brand-new grater still in its box, as well as a huge tub of cheese. Since it was her birthday, he also didn't charge her.
TikTok star Jordan Howlett, who runs the @jordan_the_stallion8 account, spotted Gjerness' video — which was posted on October 6 — and was so excited that he woke up at 6 a.m. to go to Olive Garden and see if he could buy the cheese grater. The video of his journey has racked up 9.5 million views since it was posted on Monday.
"I was so excited I quite literally couldn't contain myself!" Howlett told Insider. "I knew that I had to see if it was real."
@jordan_the_stallion8 Stich with @Bo #fypシ ♬ original sound - Jordan_The_Stallion8
When the restaurant opened and Howlett walked inside, he asked for the manager and said two simple words: "Cheese graters?"
"It was like she knew exactly what I was talking about because she then went to the other room and grabbed a cheese grater," Howlett said. "They sold it to me for $16, but with the cheese grater, they also gave me plenty of cheese to grate as well. So overall, I believe it was worth it."
An Olive Garden spokesperson told Insider that the ability to purchase a cheese grater varies by restaurant and availability.
As for Gjerness and Howlett, they're both having a blast with their new kitchen gadget.
"It's fabulous, it's so fun to use," Gjerness said. "Obviously this is the 21st century and you can get it on Amazon or find it at Walmart, but what makes it fun is it's from Olive Garden. I'm going to play Olive Garden waiter tonight and whip it out."
"Using the Olive Garden cheese grater is quite literally one of the most exciting things that has happened to me, almost ever," Howlett said. "It's so fun and convenient. I use it for grating cheese on most of my dishes now. Even some that don't even really call for cheese, I will find an excuse to use it."