Outback Steakhouse

Leadership

Bloomin' activist Starboard Value taps ex-Darden COO Dave George as advisor

The operations specialist will help Starboard’s push to shake things up at Bloomin’.

Leadership

Bloomin' Brands reshuffles board after Starboard takes big stake

Chairman Jim Craigie will be replaced by fellow member R. Michael Mohan, and Rohit Lal, CIO of trucking company Saia, is joining the board.

Restaurant Rewind: There could be a preview in the pressure Starboard put on Bloomin' arch-rival Darden Restaurants nine years ago.

The Bottom Line: The activist investor, who shook up Darden and helped get Papa Johns back on its feet, may be just what the doctor ordered for one of the most overlooked restaurant companies on Wall Street.

The activist investor, which once won every seat on the Darden Restaurants' board, now owns nearly 10% of the Outback Steakhouse parent.

Customers returned to dining out and operators greeted them with a record number of limited-time offers. The result was a summer of love on restaurant menus.

Owner Bloomin’ Brands now plans to reinvest some of the earnings into boosting traffic, which fell 4% in the second quarter.

The “Sweet Heat Season” Menu runs through Oct. 31 at the casual-dining chain, with hot honey leading the food and drink lineup.

A new American Consumer Satisfaction Index survey shows the public perceives the sector as offering better quality for the money.

After another quarter of negative transactions, executives said traffic growth is the company's top priority.

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