Outback moves out front
Jackson Bell
The Outback Steakhouse at the Empire Center, open less than a
year-and-a-half, is already outpacing every other franchise in the
corporation.
With $4.7 million generated in 2002 and its weekly intake about
$117,000, the Australian-themed restaurant is the top seller of all
the 657 Outback Steakhouses, nationally and internationally.
Sixto Rodriguez, one of the restaurant’s managers, said the most
crucial reason for such success is its high community visibility.
Whenever there is a special event in Burbank, Outback Steakhouse is
there, from sponsoring golf tournaments to hosting Burbank Chamber of
Commerce meetings, he said.
“We feel that if we take care of the community, the community will
take care of us,” Rodriquez said.
That proactive approach gets the customers in the door, but what
keeps them coming back is the outstanding service. Sipping a tall mug
of beer and nibbling on a Bloomin’ Onion, resident Veda Moisager said
the restaurant has the best service in the city.
“I like the atmosphere and the food,” she said. “It’s very
congenial here and the servers have great personalities.”
Rodriguez said sales have increased with the recent addition of
lunch hours. The restaurant opens at 11:30 a.m. weekdays and noon
weekends. Sales, he said, have jumped by more than $3,000 daily --
equaling an additional $80,000 each month.
The location helps tremendously, with the Empire Center traffic
drawing in larger crowds and the proximity to the Media City Center,
where shoppers just have to cross the Golden State (5) Freeway.