That neighborhood Outback where you celebrated birthdays and grabbed dinner after work might not be there much longer. The Australian-themed steakhouse chain just announced the closure of 41 restaurants across the country, leaving eight states without their favorite Bloomin’ Onion spots. While some areas are losing longtime locations that have served communities for over 20 years, the chain is scrambling to reinvent itself with smaller restaurants and streamlined menus.
Eight states lose all their Outback locations
The restaurant closures hit Pennsylvania, Illinois, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, Hawaii, and New Hampshire particularly hard. What makes this really tough is that Hawaii and New Hampshire don’t have any Outback locations left at all. These weren’t just random restaurant closures either – most of these spots had been serving their communities since the 1990s and early 2000s. Think about all those family celebrations, first dates, and casual dinners that happened in these places over the decades.
The older establishments with leases from the 90s were the primary targets for closure. Many of these restaurants had become local landmarks where people made memories for over twenty years. If you live in one of these areas, you’re probably wondering where to get your steak fix now that your go-to spot is gone.
Specific locations that recently shut down
Some of the confirmed closures include two locations in Birmingham, Alabama, plus spots in Jacksonville Beach and Naples, Florida. Baton Rouge, Louisiana lost their Jones Creek Boulevard location, while Silver Spring, Maryland said goodbye to their Ellsworth Place Mall restaurant. New York’s Merrick Mall location closed down, and Madison, Wisconsin lost their E. Towne Boulevard spot along with a nearby Bonefish Grill.
These confirmed closures came after what the company called a “periodic review” of restaurant performance. Employees from the affected restaurants were offered transfers to nearby locations when possible, but that doesn’t help much if the nearest Outback is now hours away. The company didn’t release a complete list of closures, so there might be more locations that quietly shut their doors.
Menu changes aim to simplify ordering
New CEO Mike Spanos decided to trim down the menu and focus on what Outback does best – steak and seafood with that Australian twist. Instead of trying to please everyone with a huge menu, they’re going back to basics. This actually makes sense when you think about it – how many times have you stared at a massive menu for ten minutes, feeling overwhelmed by all the choices?
The streamlined menu strategy focuses on perfecting signature dishes rather than offering everything under the sun. This could actually be good news for customers who just want a great steak without having to wade through pages of options. The question is whether people will miss some of their favorite menu items that might get cut in this simplification process.
New restaurants will look completely different
Despite all the closures, Outback isn’t giving up entirely. They’re planning to open 40 to 45 new restaurants in 2024, but these won’t be the same massive locations you’re used to. The new spots will be smaller with enhanced technology and modern interiors, while still keeping that familiar Australian theme with the boomerangs and Crocodile Dundee vibes.
These redesigned restaurants will focus heavily on takeout, delivery, and catering options alongside traditional dining. The smaller footprint approach reflects how people eat out differently now – sometimes you want the full restaurant experience, but other times you just want to grab your Bloomin’ Onion and head home.
Rising costs force difficult decisions
Renovating all those older locations would have cost a fortune, and the company decided it wasn’t worth the investment given how sales and foot traffic have been declining. Restaurant renovations aren’t cheap – we’re talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars per location to update kitchens, dining rooms, and technology systems. When a location isn’t bringing in enough customers to justify that expense, closure becomes the logical choice.
The company reports that current sales and traffic patterns couldn’t support the massive investments needed for renovations. With food costs going up and profit margins already thin in the restaurant business, substantial investments become harder to justify. This puts restaurant chains in a tough spot – spend millions on updates with no guarantee of success, or cut losses and focus resources elsewhere.
Value meals try to bring back budget diners
To attract customers who are watching their wallets, Outback introduced value options like their $14.99 three-course meal. This is actually a pretty good deal when you consider that many casual dining entrees alone cost that much these days. The challenge is making those meals profitable while still using quality ingredients that people expect from a steakhouse.
Balancing affordable prices with decent food quality is getting harder as ingredient costs keep climbing. The value-driven options need to attract budget-conscious diners without cheapening the brand’s reputation. Restaurant profit margins are already razor-thin, so offering lower-priced meals means finding savings somewhere else – whether that’s smaller portions, different ingredients, or operational efficiencies.
Previous closure wave hit earlier this year
This isn’t the first round of closures for Outback in 2024. The chain already shut down more than 40 restaurants earlier in the year as part of what they called a broader turnaround plan. That means we’re looking at over 80 Outback locations that have closed their doors in just one year – that’s a significant chunk of restaurants disappearing from communities across America.
The earlier closures were part of the same strategy – identifying underperforming locations and closing them rather than investing in extensive renovations. Bloomin’ Brands, Outback’s parent company, operates over 1,450 restaurants worldwide including Carrabba’s Italian Grill and Bonefish Grill, so they have other brands to focus on when Outback locations aren’t working out.
Technology upgrades change the dining experience
The new Outback locations will feature enhanced technology that changes how you order and pay for your meal. Think tablet ordering, mobile payment options, and probably those tabletop devices that let you pay without waiting for your server to bring the check. While some people love this tech-forward approach, others miss the traditional restaurant experience where you actually talk to a human being.
These technology improvements are supposed to make service faster and more efficient, but they also help restaurants operate with fewer staff members. The modernized interiors will blend the familiar Australian theme with contemporary design elements. Whether this hybrid approach works depends on whether customers embrace the changes or long for the simpler restaurant experience of the past.
The next few months will show whether Outback’s strategy of closing older locations while opening smaller, tech-enhanced restaurants actually works. For loyal customers in affected areas, the search for a new steak dinner spot begins now, while the chain hopes its reinvention will attract both old fans and new diners in an increasingly competitive restaurant landscape.
