Copyright Mechanicsburg Patriot News
Outback Steakhouse fans, if you happen to live in one of the following states, I have crushing news for you. The Australian restaurant chain has abruptly closed locations across several states, and it seemingly happened overnight. This included some restaraunts that had been in business for more than 35 years. The sudden closures don’t appear to be linked to the 41 restaurant closures that was announced by Outback Steakhouse’s parent company, Bloomin’ Brands, back in February of last year. The parent company also owns Bonefish Grill, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. So far, there are closures in six states: Florida, Alabama, New York, Louisiana, Maryland, and Wisconsin. There are also locations that have even been open for decades, including a 35-year-old restaurant in Florida and a 24-year-old restaurant in Alabama. Other locations were just a year old, such as a restaurant in Maryland. Currently, the following Outback Steakhouse locations have ended up on the chopping block: Birmingham, Alabama: 20th Street North at 20 Midtown Birmingham, Alabama: Inverness location on U.S. 280 Jacksonville Beach, Florida: 3760 South 3rd Street Naples, Florida: 4910 U.S. 41 North Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Jones Creek Boulevard Silver Spring, Maryland: 8661 Colesville Road in Ellsworth Place Mall Merrick, New York: 2124 Merrick Mall Madison, Wisconsin: 4520 E. Towne Boulevard* Additionally, a Bonefish Grill on 7345 Mineral Point Road in Madison, Wisconsin has also closed. “These are business decisions that are part of our ongoing turnaround plan,” Bloomin’ Brands spokesperson Elizabeth Daly told USA Today in a statement. “We considered a variety of factors, including sales and traffic, trade areas, and potential investments to improve performance.” Daly also told Allrecipes that employees who worked at closed restaurants will have a chance to transfer to open positions at nearby restaurants when possible, and everyone is set to earn a transition bonus. And it seems the closures came as much as a surprise to employers as it did to restaurant goers. One Reddit user and self-identified Outback employee in Madison posted that the closure came out of left field, writing, “It was super sudden. Told a few of my regulars I couldn’t wait to see them again soon Sunday night and 12 hours later I was unemployed.”
