CHUBBUCK — Work on the new Olive Garden restaurant in Chubbuck began this week, with the demolition of an existing building there first on a list of tasks for the project. The restaurant is set to open in September.

Logan Underwood, a superintendent with Construction Solutions Company, which is building the new Olive Garden, said he’s excited that the project is underway and he’s confident at this point that it will be on schedule.

“Six months is a pretty intense schedule for a project of this size,” Underwood said. “But we’re confident we’ll get it done, as long as there aren’t any supply shortages or snags along the way.”

The Chubbuck Olive Garden will replace the former Red Lobster restaurant along Yellowstone Avenue, which crews started demolishing this week.

Underwood said the restaurant, which joins a chain of more than 900 Olive Gardens across the country, will be “super high quality” construction.

“What you see at the other Olive Gardens in Idaho Falls or Salt Lake, this one will be different. This is a big one in terms of the roof pitches, and the rocks and stone we’ll be using for the finishes,” he said. “It’s an Olive Garden like you’ve never seen before. It’s going to be top notch.”

Underwood said Olive Garden is aiming for a mid-September opening date, though it could be earlier or later in the month depending on construction.

According to the building permit, the restaurant will be 6,489 square feet, and the new construction’s value is estimated to be $2.5 million.

The Olive Garden building will have space for 209 occupants.

The closest Olive Garden restaurants to the Pocatello-Chubbuck area are in Idaho Falls, Twin Falls and Logan, Utah.