Outback Steakhouse in Pennsylvania Closes Doors for Good
An Outback Steakhouse has closed its doors for good after its parent company announced that dozens of locations would shutter. The franchise closed a restaurant in Patton Township, Pennsylvania, a 15-minute drive from Pennsylvania State University.
2Outback Steakhouse Closure Details
Bloomin’ Brands Inc., the Florida-based company that owns Outback Steakhouse, announced its decision to close 41 “underperforming locations” during a company earnings call this month.
“A majority of these restaurants were older assets with leases from the 90s and early 2000s,” David Deno, owner of Bloomin Brands’, said during the call.
Reasons Behind Closure
The CEO said that it would be too expensive to improve the locations, which suffered from a dip in sales and decreasing customer traffic.
He emphasized that employee performance was not the reason why the restaurants were closing.
Timelines and Plans
Company executives said the closures should be complete by the end of the first quarter.
As some restaurants close, the execs are hoping to open 40 to 45 new locations across the nation this year.
Employee Impact and Severance
In an email to local news outlet the Centre Daily Times, Outback Steakhouse did not address how many employees would be affected by the Patton Township closure.
The company said that employees who don’t transfer to a new location will be offered a severance package.
Company Statement and Community Response
“Deciding to close a restaurant is never easy,” a company spokesperson said.
“This was a business decision and is not a reflection of the management or staff. We appreciate the community’s support for the past 24 years.”
The nearest Outback Steakhouse in Centre County is in Altoona, an hour south of the Patton Township location. The latest closure comes after another Outback Steakhouse in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, closed after three decades of being in business, perPenn Live.
Outback Steakhouse also closed its last remaining restaurants across Hawaii earlier this month. In addition to the steakhouse chain, Bloomin’ Brands also owns Bonefish Grill and Carrabba’s Italian Grill. The U.S. Sun has contacted Outback Steakhouse for comment.