OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE
Location: East Bay Drive and Belcher:
You were my favorite thirty dollar meal for two with good value and great food, so once a week usually on Sundays we would run to OUTBACK for some meat and chicken. Probably thirty five to forty times a year.
But the last two times in Outback I noticed the bill went up 25%, the wings were half the size and not juicy, the salad half the size and drier, not as cold or crisp as it usually is, and the House Special Steak has somehow shrunk.
Basically I am the carnivore, and the wife was a chicken lover so we order the same things almost repeatedly and can tell the difference.
Outback is a great chain and was one of my favorite experiences in the moderate price range. On one occasion though, the quality and value was a turnoff. I composed a letter to their chain not about the one time but about direction. I have friends there who till now did a great job in merchandising, value for the dollar and quality staff. This is one of the closest stores to the main offices of Outback who built a reputation based on those points.
The owner-manager has to have three eyes to maintain the level. She does, one eye on the register, one eye on the food and help and one eye for the customer. Thats why some locations in both corporate and franchise locations do well yet the one down the street a ways fails. Active pro-management.