Outback Steakhouse has abruptly closed restaurants in several states. Stores closed seemingly overnight, including some that had been in business for more than 35 years. The closures do not appear to be related to the 41 restaurant closings announced by Outback Steakhouse parent company Bloomin’ Brands in February 2024. Bloomin’ Brands also owns Bonefish Grill, Carrabba’s Italian Grill and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar.
Local media outlets reported closures in six states: Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, New York, Maryland and Wisconsin. Some locations had been open for decades, including a 35-year-old restaurant in Florida and a 24-year-old restaurant in Alabama, while others were only a year old, including a location in Maryland.
So far, the following Outback Steakhouse locations have closed:
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Birmingham, Alabama: 20th Street North at 20 Midtown
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Birmingham, Alabama: Inverness location on US 280
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Jacksonville Beach, Florida: 3760 South 3rd Street
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Naples, Florida: 4910 US 41 North
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Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Jones Creek Boulevard
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Silver Spring, Maryland: 8661 Colesville Road at Ellsworth Place Shopping Center
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Merrick, New York: 2124 Merrick Mall
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Madison, Wisconsin: 4520 E. Towne Boulevard*
*A Bonefish Grill location in Madison, Wisconsin (7345 Mineral Point Road) has also closed.
“These are business decisions that are part of our ongoing recovery plan,” Bloomin’ Brands spokesperson Elizabeth Daly told USA Today in a statement. “We consider a variety of factors, including sales and traffic, business areas and potential investments to improve performance.”
Daly also told Allrecipes that employees who worked at closed restaurants will have the opportunity to transfer to open positions at nearby restaurants when possible, and everyone will get a transition bonus.
One Reddit user and self-identified employee at Outback in Madison posted that the closure was a surprise, writing, “It was very sudden. I told some of my regular customers I couldn’t wait to see them again soon on Sunday night and 12 hours later I was unemployed.”
At the Silver Spring location, some customers only learned it was closed from a note on the door that said “Now Closed.”
Read the original article on Allrecipes