Outback Steakhouse facts for kids
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An outlet in Onalaska, Wisconsin, in November 2023
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Genre | Casual dining |
| Founded | March 15, 1988 |
| Founders |
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| Headquarters |
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United States
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Number of locations
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1,319 (October 2021) |
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Area served
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Argentina Australia Brazil Canada Chile Costa Rica Ecuador Hong Kong India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Mexico New Zealand Philippines Saudi Arabia South Korea Qatar United Kingdom United States |
| Products | Australian themed American cuisine |
| Revenue | US$ 3.888 billion (2017) |
| Parent | Bloomin' Brands |
Outback Steakhouse is a popular American restaurant chain. It has an Australian-themed style, even though it serves American food. The first Outback Steakhouse opened in Tampa, Florida, on March 15, 1988. It was started by Bob Basham, Trudy Cooper, Chris T. Sullivan, and Tim Gannon. Today, there are over 1,000 Outback Steakhouse restaurants in 23 different countries. You can find them across North America, South America, Asia, and Australia. The company is currently owned by Bloomin' Brands.
Contents
History of Outback Steakhouse
The very first Outback Steakhouse opened its doors on March 15, 1988. This first restaurant was located in Tampa, Florida.
Outback in Canada and the UK
Outback Steakhouse restaurants first came to Canada in 1996. In March 2009, all nine locations in Ontario, Canada, suddenly closed. The company said this was because of tough economic times. However, in June 2009, a new Outback Steakhouse opened in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Later, a second location also opened in Niagara Falls. These are the only Outback Steakhouse restaurants currently operating in Canada.
Outback Steakhouse also tried to open restaurants in the United Kingdom. They had locations in cities like Birmingham and London areas such as Basildon and Romford. By September 2011, only the Basildon and Romford stores were left. These two closed on September 13, which ended Outback's time in the UK market.
Company Ownership Changes
On June 14, 2007, the company that owned Outback Steakhouse at the time, OSI Restaurant Partners, bought back its own stock. This made the company privately owned, meaning its shares were no longer traded on the stock market.
In April 2012, Bloomin' Brands, which now owns Outback Steakhouse, decided to sell shares to the public again. They filed paperwork to raise up to $300 million in an initial public offering (IPO). This means that Bloomin' Brands, Inc. became a publicly traded company. Its shares are now traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the symbol "BLMN."
Popular Menu Items
The Bloomin' Onion Appetizer
The Bloomin' Onion is a very famous dish at Outback Steakhouse. It's a signature item for the restaurant. Even though Outback has an Australian theme, the Bloomin' Onion is not a traditional Australian food. You won't usually find it sold in Australia, except at Outback restaurants.
This appetizer is made from a 1-pound (about 450-gram) onion. It is cut in a special way to make it "bloom" open, like a flower. Then, it's covered in breading and deep-fried until it's crispy. It comes with a special sauce made from mayonnaise and horseradish. Other restaurants have similar dishes, like the Cactus Blossom at Texas Roadhouse. Some people have pointed out that the Bloomin' Onion can have a lot of calories, sometimes more than 1,500 in one serving.
Community and Sports Involvement
Supporting Communities
Outback Steakhouse has special programs to help the communities where its restaurants are located. They work with a platform called GroupRaise. This platform helps non-profit groups book fundraisers at Outback restaurants. This way, organizations can raise money for their causes. On a larger scale, Outback also partners with Heineken USA's "Heineken with a Heart" program. This program helps raise money for different organizations in these communities.
Advertising and Sponsorships
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One of the two Outback blimps
Outback Steakhouse has used unique ways to advertise. The company actually owns two blimps! These blimps are named Bloomin' Onions I and II, after their famous appetizer. For several years, Outback also used a special Australian-themed version of a song by the band Of Montreal in their TV ads.
General (Ret) Tommy Franks, a well-known military leader, used to be on the Board of Directors for OSI Restaurant Partners, INC. This company owned Outback Steakhouse at the time.
Sponsoring Sports Events
Outback Steakhouse has been a big supporter of sports. They were the main sponsor for the Outback Champions Series tennis events. They also sponsored the Outback Bowl, which is a college football game. These sponsorships lasted until 2020.
Outback is also a partner with the Tampa Bay Lightning, a professional ice hockey team. They even have a food stand inside Amalie Arena, where the team plays.
Motorsports Sponsorships
In 2012, Outback Steakhouse started sponsoring Ryan Newman, a NASCAR driver. They sponsored his No. 39 Chevrolet car for Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. In their very first race as a sponsor, Ryan Newman won the 2012 Goody's Fast Relief 500 race.
Outback had a fun promotion with Newman: if he finished in the Top 10 in a race, customers could get a free Bloomin' Onion the next Monday! When Newman left the team, Kevin Harvick took over Outback's sponsorship in 2014. Outback was on Harvick’s No. 4 car from 2014 to 2018. This included the year Harvick won the championship in 2014. From 2019 until the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020, Outback was a personal sponsor for Harvick, keeping the "Bloomin' Monday" promotion going. This sponsorship ended after 2020.
The company also sponsored Jeff Gordon, another famous NASCAR driver, in 1990. They sponsored his No. 67 car for a race in the Busch Series. More recently, in September 2023, Outback Steakhouse sponsored Stephen Mallozzi. He used to work as a server at Outback and then raced in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race.
See also
In Spanish: Outback Steakhouse para niños
