Outback Steakhouse facts for kids
Current Outback logo used since 2006
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An Outback restaurant in Onalaska, Wisconsin, 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 Japan Macau 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, but it serves American food. The company started in Tampa, Florida.
Outback Steakhouse has more than 1,000 restaurants. You can find them in 23 countries around the world. These countries are in North America, South America, Asia, and Australia. The first Outback Steakhouse opened on March 15, 1988. It was founded by Bob Basham, Chris T. Sullivan, Trudy Cooper, and Tim Gannon.
Contents
The Story of Outback Steakhouse
The very first Outback Steakhouse opened its doors in Tampa, Florida, on March 15, 1988.
Outback in Canada
Outback Steakhouse restaurants started opening in Canada in 1996. In March 2009, all nine locations in Ontario suddenly closed. This happened because of tough economic times. However, in June 2009, a new Outback Steakhouse opened in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Another one opened in the same city later. As of 2024, these are the only Outback Steakhouse locations in Canada.
Outback in Hawaii
Outback locations in Hawaii began to open in the mid-1990s. This was part of a big plan to open more restaurants across the country. On February 17, 2024, Bloomin' Brands, the company that owns Outback, announced that all Hawaii locations would close for good. This was part of a plan to improve the company's finances. They closed over 41 locations in total. All three Hawaii restaurants were permanently closed by February 18, 2024.
Outback in the UK
Outback Steakhouse also opened in the United Kingdom. They had restaurants in cities like Birmingham and London. By September 2011, only two stores were left. These two closed on September 13, ending Outback's time in the UK market.
New Look for Outback
In 2006, Outback Steakhouse got a new logo. They changed from an old kangaroo logo to a simpler mountain range design. Starting in 2008, Outback began to update most of its restaurants. They wanted a fresher, more modern look. This included changing their bright neon signs to energy-saving LED lights. They also changed from a dark, rustic style to a brighter, more lively feel. Today, most Outback restaurants have this new look.
Company Ownership Changes
On June 14, 2007, the company that owned Outback Steakhouse bought back its own stock. This made the company privately owned. Then, in April 2012, Bloomin' Brands, which now owns Outback, decided to sell shares to the public. This is called an initial public offering (IPO). Bloomin' Brands, Inc. became a public company. Its shares are traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the symbol "BLMN."
Most Outback locations are owned by Bloomin' Brands. However, some restaurants in California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico are owned by a separate company called Out West Restaurant Group. Outback Steakhouse currently has over 1,000 locations worldwide. About 694 of these are in the United States.
What's on the Menu?
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The Bloomin' Onion
The Bloomin' Onion is a very famous item at Outback. It's a large onion, about 1 pound in weight. It's cut to look like a flower blooming open. Then, it's breaded and deep-fried. It comes with a special mayonnaise-horseradish sauce. Even though Outback has an Australian theme, the Bloomin' Onion is not a traditional Australian food.
Some people have pointed out that the Bloomin' Onion can have a lot of calories. Sometimes, it has over 1,500 calories in one serving.
Outback's Community and Values
Helping Communities
Outback Steakhouse has programs to help the communities where its restaurants are located. They work with GroupRaise, a platform that helps non-profit groups organize fundraisers at their restaurants. Outback also partners with Heineken USA's "Heineken with a Heart" program. This program helps raise money for different organizations in these communities.
Supporting Political Causes
The company and its founders give money to political groups. They do this through something called a Political Action Committee (PAC). A PAC is a group that collects money to support political parties or candidates. The Outback Steakhouse PAC has given money to the Republican Party. It is one of the biggest donors in the food and beverage industry.
Sourcing Cage-Free Eggs
In 2022, Bloomin' Brands, Outback Steakhouse's parent company, made a promise. They said they would use 100% cage-free eggs in all their restaurants by 2030. In 2024, they announced that they had already reached this goal in their United States locations. This means the eggs they use come from hens that are not kept in cages.
Advertising and Sports
Outback Steakhouse has used different ways to advertise.
- The company owns two large airships, also known as blimps. They are called Bloomin' Onions I and II, named after their famous appetizer.
- For several years, they used a special Australian-themed song in their commercials.
Sports Sponsorships
Outback Steakhouse was a main sponsor for tennis events called the Outback Champions Series. They also sponsored a college football game called the Outback Bowl. This sponsorship lasted until 2020.
Outback is also a partner of the Tampa Bay Lightning, a hockey team. They have a food stand inside the team's arena, Amalie Arena.
Motorsports Sponsorships
In 2012, Outback Steakhouse started sponsoring Ryan Newman, a NASCAR driver. He drove the No. 39 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing. In their first race together, Newman won the 2012 Goody's Fast Relief 500. Outback had a special deal: if Newman finished in the top ten, customers could get a free Bloomin' Onion the next Monday.
Kevin Harvick took over Outback's sponsorship in 2014. He drove the No. 4 car. Outback sponsored Harvick's car from 2014 to 2018. He even won a championship in 2014. From 2019 until the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Outback was a personal sponsor for Harvick. The "Blooming Monday" promotion continued during this time. It ended after 2020.
In September 2023, Outback Steakhouse sponsored Stephen Mallozzi. He used to work as a server at Outback. He raced in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Images for kids
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Original style restaurant in Lake Forest, California, September 2023
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Interior, February 2024. The original interior still remains, as of February 2025.
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Outback restaurant at Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, California, in September 2007. This was relocated to the outdoor wing in 2018 and was demolished and replaced with Marshalls.
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One of the two Outback blimps
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The Outback Steakhouse Hummer vehicle
See also
In Spanish: Outback Steakhouse para niños
