Craig Sheppard

Bloomin'​ Brands, Inc.

In the late 1980s, four friends who were all veterans of the hospitality industry had the dream of opening their own restaurant. They wanted a place with a casual atmosphere and a strong focus on quality food and service. To differentiate themselves from other dining concepts, they decided an Australian theme fit the relaxed, friendly, and fun image they wanted for their new restaurant. With a "No Rules, Just Right" mentality that takes food very seriously, but without taking themselves too seriously and operating under the premise that nothing stands in the way of pleasing the customer, they opened their first Outback Steakhouse restaurant in March 1988 in Tampa, Florida. Outback Steakhouse quickly became known as a place that served a great steak at a reasonable price by people who genuinely cared about the comfort, well-being, and joy of their guests. Since the first Outback Steakhouse opened, our family has expanded to include Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, and Aussie Grill by Outback. Together, these unique, Founder-inspired restaurants make up Bloomin' Brands, Inc. Today, Bloomin' Brands is one of the world's largest casual dining companies with approximately 77,000 Team Members and more than 1,450 restaurants worldwide. Bloomin' Brands was named to the Forbes' list of the America's Best Employers for Diversity for the third year in a row and was also honored as one of America's Best Large Employers in 2021.