Tampa, Fla. — As of June 7, 2020, more than 760 company-operated U.S. restaurants (approximately 74% of U.S. restaurants) have reopened with limited in-restaurant dining capacity in accordance with local mandates, according to a business update from Bloomin’ Brands, Inc.
“Since the onset of the pandemic, we have been nimble in adapting our business,” says David Deno, chief executive officer. “This included a pivot to an off-premises model as dining rooms were forced to close. We were able to triple our off-premises sales per restaurant while our dining rooms were closed. Starting in early May, states began the process of partially re-opening their economies. Our decision to not furlough any employees during this pandemic has allowed us to quickly prepare our restaurants for the reopening of dining rooms in a safe and efficient manner.”
During the full week ended June 7, 2020, Outback Steakhouse had 373 restaurants open for dine-in service at limited capacity. Comparable restaurant sales at these locations were down 13.6% from the prior year.
“We are encouraged by these sales trends as we begin to reopen our dining rooms,” Deno adds. “By the end of the month, we expect to have substantially all our domestic restaurant dining rooms opened with limited seating capacity.”
Bloomin’ Brands continues to adhere to strong safety measures as it opens dining rooms. These measures include additional sanitation and disinfecting practices, enhanced hand-washing protocols, use of gloves and facial protection for employees, and the company also is providing contactless payment options for customers. In addition, each dining room seating configuration has been modified to adhere to social distancing and reduced capacity standards, and Bloomin’ Brands is leveraging its table management notification system to allow guests to wait in their cars for their table.
Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. is one of the largest casual dining restaurant companies in the world with a portfolio of leading, differentiated restaurant concepts. The company has four founder-inspired brands: Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. The company operates more than 1,450 restaurants in 48 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and 20 countries, some of which are franchise locations. For more information, visit www.bloominbrands.com.
SOURCE: Bloomin’ Brands, Inc.