"The Olive Garden, an authentic Italian restaurant." Quote taken from me after having a meal of Garlic breadsticks and Raspberry cheesecake (picture of me enjoying my meal included on site).

This quote expresses the general sentiment shared by The Olive Garden's consumers.  The creation of a fantastic, surreal, exaggerated Italy: full of following wine, quaint villages, excellent food and great waiters (evident by illustrations on the wall), allows the consumer to enjoy the "best" of Italy.  Pictures of the workers toiling the fields, Italy's slums, chefs in the hot kitchen, or waiters' at their training session are not shown because the Italy that The Olive Garden hopes to create, is one of positive nostalgia.  The theme of The Olive Garden is fruitful Italy, obviously the most economically viable for their establishment.
Patrons demand good times, great service, and aesthetic surroundings, which can only be achieved by creating a psuedo-Italian environment. It is the corporations' goal, in this case Darden Restaurants, Inc., to turn the theme of Old Italy, into a multi-million dollar venue. The Olive Garden's immense success story is largely due to Darden's ability to market the chain.  Plenty of time and effort most be put into deciding upon a location for each restaurant, target audience, and creation of Italy (particularly a non-offensive, politically correct Italy).
Until October of 2000, most of The Olive Garden's were placed in areas that are most attractive to large chain, sit-down restaurants; which is the suburbs.  Within the suburbs is a market comprised of constituents that are (particularly on the United States Eastern Seaboard): former urbanites that are affluent, have families, many are foreign etc.  The cities peripheries are almost irresistible to family-friendly restaurants.  Time for leisure and maintaining familial bonds are paramount in the typical idealistic American household, and both aspects are successfully achieved by communal eating.  Ingrained within American morals and psyche, are the ideals of communal eating. The Olive Garden is a inorganic fantasy, set-up to create the ideal place for family bonding, while the patrons (most often families, or couples a.k..a, soon to be families) consume organic necessities (food).  Also spatial area is a necessity when fabricating themed spaces, particularly in deciding the location of The Olive Garden on Route 9.  It seems blatantly obvious, that the comercial district is centered on retail and food, evident by the two malls and numerous eateries' in The Olive Garden's immediate vicinity.  Thereby there is space set aside for creating a replica of a grand Italian Tuscan farm, with relatively low community opposition because not only is this the established intent of the district, but there are relatively few, if any, residents in the immediate area. In comparison with the city, where the location of The Olive Garden would be meet with immense opposition because space is in demand; large corporations are usually disliked in neighborhoods like Greenwich Village etc., a substantial amount of the urban population is single and are not attracted to sit-down family restaurants, and many simply just don't have the time.
To create a themed-family venue within a suburban market is indeed an idea that is economically viable, largely profitably and rather hackneyed.  All across our country you will find themed-restaurants that cater to various fantasies, usually depicting exotic places, or areas that most Americans are not conversant with, generally within suburbia. 
The Olive Garden is now realizing the immense possibilities available within the untapped urban market.  With the proliferation of urbanization and the creation of inorganic areas within the usually organic city, i.e. Times Square.  There is now a space for make-believe, and family leisure within the city.  Thus, Times Square is the perfect place for the location of the new Olive Garden.  Bright lights, shopping areas, and themed spaces are abound in the commercial district Times Square.  America's largest fabrication mogul Disney has attracted wholesomeness, usually equated with family, to the area.  Thus it is now safe to tap this market, without immense opposition or non-profitable ramifications. 
Themed space reveals the evolution of urban theoretical thought.  Space is now being adapted to create a particular experience, and this experience is created to sell a brand name. Through themed manipulation, space is becoming commodified in new ways as cultural representations are twisted to fit a product.