Outback Steakhouse, the Australian-themed eatery with multiple locations across Long Island, has closed in Merrick, joining a growing list of casual restaurant chains struggling with changing customer habits and rising costs.
Outback, at 2124 Merrick Mall on the corner of Smith Street and Merrick Avenue, closed its doors for good on Sunday after operating there for nearly 30 years, its parent company confirmed in an email Tuesday. The fast-casual chain, along with Carrabba’s Italian Grill and Bonefish Grill, which has a small presence on Long Island, are owned by Tampa, Florida-based Bloomin’ Brands.
The parent company closed its last two Long Island Carrabba’s locations early last year.
“Our lease is expiring, and our last day of business was October 26,” Elizabeth Daly, a spokeswoman for Bloomin’ Brands, said in an email, referring to the Merrick Outback. “Team members were offered the opportunity to transfer to a nearby restaurant, and all received a transition bonus.”
Daly did not immediately respond to follow-up questions on the number of impacted employees or the amount of transition bonuses.
Outback’s closure follows a national trend of declining foot traffic at casual eateries, which have largely increased menu prices as a result of higher overhead and supply costs, restaurant experts said. Chains like Red Lobster, Friendly’s, Denny’s and Boston Market have all closed locations in recent years.
Outback, known for its “bloomin’ onion” appetizer, now has six restaurants on the Island, in Westbury, Lindenhurst, Commack, Holbrook, East Setauket and Island Park, according to the company website.
“We truly appreciate the community’s support the past 29 years,” Daly said.
Outback Steakhouse has seen its total number of restaurants decline nationwide over the past 10 years, according to Technomic, a Chicago-based restaurant industry analysis and research firm.
The number of Outback locations nationwide dropped to 670 in 2025, down from 724 restaurants in 2020, according to Technomic data.
The chain has been challenged by both competition and inflation, said Kevin Schimpf, Technomic’s senior director of industry research.
“Competitive pressure is probably one of the more significant headwinds facing Outback Steakhouse outside of all the broader challenges that steakhouses are currently dealing with,” Schimpf said in an emailed statement.
The company, like many in the fast-casual restaurant world, have been dealing with declining sales from customers cutting down on some discretionary spending as a result of increased costs. At the same time, operating costs for many steakhouses in particular have gone up with the “rising beef costs,” he said.
“Last year, Outback’s sales slipped by 4% while its two key competitors, Texas Roadhouse and LongHorn Steakhouse, saw sales increases of 15% and 7%, respectively,” Schimpf said. “Both of those brands expanded their restaurant counts last year as well.”
Schimpf said competitors Texas Roadhouse and LongHorn “have both made significant ongoing investments in their staffing and operations while Outback has lagged somewhat on that front.”
For fiscal year 2024, Bloomin’ Brands’ revenue hit $3.95 billion, down from the $4.17 billion the company reported the year prior, according to company financials.
First Appeared on
Source link
