Outback's largest US franchisee files for bankruptcy; parent bids $26.3 million
The gist
Outback franchisee Out West, operating 61 restaurants in five Western states, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Parent Bloomin' Brands wants to buy the assets to keep the brand intact.
How it unfolded
- 2017T-Bird acquired 45 corporate Outback locations in Arizona, Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico and rebranded as Cerca Trova Restaurant Concepts.
- 2018The group was renamed Out West Restaurant Group; it then owned 99 Outback eateries with annual sales of about $340 million, making it the largest Outback franchise owner in the country.
- 2026Outback parent Bloomin' Brands closed more than 40 underperforming locations as part of a wider turnaround strategy.