Outback Steakhouse: Don't Call it Australian

And yes, Outback Steakhouse is in some ways a direct result of Crocodile Dundee. It was the film’s huge popularity that inspired the four American founders to brand the restaurant, founded in Tampa in 1988, as Australian. None of those founders — Chris Sullivan, Robert Basham, Tim Gannon and Trudy Cooper — had ever been to Australia. Restaurant-industry veterans of chains like Bennigan’s, Steak & Ale and Chili’s, the quartet had one big idea: Contrary to popular belief, Americans were not looking for healthier options. Quite the opposite. They wanted steak.



See also: Outback Steakhouse Review: Please Don't Call This Food Australian

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