Outback Steakhouse parent company closing 41 ‘under-performing’ restaurants
Bloomin’ Brands Inc., the parent company to brands including Outback Steakhouse and Carrabba’s Italian Grill, plans to close 41 restaurants across its portfolio.
David Deno, the CEO of the Tampa-based company, said Bloomin’ Brands plans to close stores that are underperforming. The majority of the restaurants were older locations with leases from the 90s and early 2000s, reports Nations Restaurants News.
Despite the closures, Deno also said the company plans to open 40 to 45 new restaurants in 2024. One of Bloomin’ Brands’ biggest priorities is to-go orders, off-premise sales, and catering.
“We were pioneers in the to-go space, and we continue to see robust demand,” said Deno.
According to Nations Restaurant News, as of Dec. 31, Bloomin’ Brands operated 1,480 restaurants, including 688 Outback Steakhouses in the U.S., 217 Carrabba’s Italian Grills, 176 Bonefish Grills, 64 Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bars, five fast-casual Aussie Grills and 330 internationally.