Bloomin' Brands

Outback Steakhouse first opened in March 1988 and grew into what is now Bloomin’ Brands Inc., which draws its name from the popular signature breaded-and-fried Bloomin’ Onion menu item.

Four friends —Bob Basham, Chris T. Sullivan, Trudy Cooper and Tim Gannon — debuted the first Australian-themed Outback Steakhouse in Tampa, Fla., where the company remains headquartered.

The company later become OSI Restaurant Partners Inc. and went public in 1991. OSI was sold in 2007 to the private-equity firm Bain Capital Partners and returned to the stock markets again five years later as the Bloomin' Brands holding company.

The Bloomin’ Brands subsidiaries now include Outback, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar and Aussie Grill by Outback, a concept that began as a mall food-court brand and in the past year has emerged as a stand-alone quick-service concept with a drive-thru.

Bloomin' Brands has more than 1,450 restaurants worldwide.

In February 2021, Bloomin expanded its limited test of the virtual Tender Shack chicken brand nationwide. The delivery-only menu is available only on DoorDash in 725 markets, using excess capacity in Outback and Carrabba’s kitchens.

Headquarters: Tampa, Fla.

Segment: Casual Dining, Fine Dining

Restaurant Segment: FSR Italian Pizza, FSR Seafood/Steak

Number of Locations: 1,450

2020 Sales: Outback Steakhouse, $2.093 billion; Carrabba’s Italian Grill, $566.5 million; Bonefish Grill, $406.5 million; and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, $275.8 million.

Source: Datassential Firefly 500

CEO: David Deno