Episode
Tim Gannon: From $37 to Co-Founding Outback Steakhouse & Building a Restaurant Empire
- Podcast
- Legends N Leaders
- Published
- Jul 27, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1584
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Summary
Tim Gannon, co-founder of Outback Steakhouse and creator of the iconic Bloomin’ Onion, joins LegendsNLeaders to share the remarkable journey behind building one of the most recognizable restaurant brands in the world. Tim takes us back to 1988, when he arrived in Tampa with just $37 in his pocket and helped open the first Outback Steakhouse. What started with a single restaurant would grow into a global business, with Tim and his partners helping build six restaurant brands across more than 1,400 locations worldwide. In this episode, Tim shares the story behind creating the Bloomin’ Onion, the early risks that went into building Outback, the importance of choosing the right partners, creating a people-first company culture, and the lessons he learned through enormous successes and difficult setbacks. Tim also discusses his new book, Bloomin’ Adventures: The Partners, the Risks, and the Recipe Behind Outback Steakhouse , written with 13-time New York Times bestselling author Don Yaeger. The book tells the unfiltered story behind his journey—from working kitchens and arriving in Tampa nearly broke to building Outback, pursuing his passion for polo, losing what he had built, and ultimately rebuilding. This is the story behind Outback Steakhouse—and the entrepreneur who helped turn an idea, a team, and a Bloomin’ Onion into a global restaurant phenomenon. #TimGannon #OutbackSteakhouse #BloominAdventures #DonYaeger #BloominOnion #RestaurantBusiness #Entrepreneur