43 Outback, Carrabba’s and Bonefish locations closing

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One of the largest casual dining restaurant companies in the world is shutting down dozens of locations amid reports of a so-called “restaurant recession.”

Bloomin’ Brands, which has about 1,500 restaurants, owns Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar.

40+ Outback, Carrabba’s & Bonefish locations closing

Read more: 3 restaurant menu items you should never order

As we’ve reported, 2016 was a difficult year for casual restaurant chains like those in the Bloomin’ Brands portfolio.

‘Although 2016 was a challenging year for both Bloomin’ Brands and the industry, we made real progress on our strategy to reallocate spending away from discounting toward investments to strengthen brand health, ‘ said Liz Smith, Bloomin’ Brands CEO. ‘We are pleased with how our brands are performing so far in 2017, particularly at Outback where we believe our investments are beginning to gain traction.’

Despite optimism about the future, Bloomin’ Brands said it decided on February 15 to close 43 ‘underperforming’ restaurants, including Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill and Bonefish Grill locations.

No list of the affected restaurants was released to the media, but we have compiled a partial list based on local news reports:

Alabama

Carrabba’s in Montgomery

Source: Montgomery Advertiser

Arizona

Outback Steakhouse in Chandler

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Source: Phoenix Business Journal

California

Fleming’s in Beverly Hills

Connecticut

Bonefish Grill in Newington

Bonefish Grill in South Windsor

Carrabba’s  in Manchester

Source: FOX 61

Florida

Carrabba’s in Jacksonville

Source: The Florida Times-Union 

Carrabba’s in South Miami

Source: CBS Miami

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Illinois

Carrabba’s in Naperville

Massachusetts

Bonefish Grill in Westwood

Source: Patch

Carrabba’s in Tyngsboro

Source: Lowell Sun

Outback Steakhouse in Framingham

Source: WCVB

Outback Steakhouse in Westborough

Source: Community Advocate

Michigan

Carrabba’s in Kentwood

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Source: WOOD-TV

Carrabba’s in Grand Rapids

Source: MLive.com

Outback Steakhouse in Rochester Hills

Source: The Oakland Press

Minnesota

Bonefish Grill in St. Louis Park

Source: Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal

Missouri

Outback Steakhouse in Hazelwood

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

New Jersey

Bonefish Grill in Middletown

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Carrabba’s in Egg Harbor Township

Carrabba’s in Evesham

Carrabba’s in Middletown

Outback Steakhouse in Lawrenceville

Source: NJ.com

New York

Bonefish Grill in Colonie

Source: Times Union

North Carolina

Carrabba’s in Charlotte

Source: The Charlotte Observer

Outback Steakhouse in Morehead City

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Source: Twitter

South Carolina

Carrabba’s in Columbia

Source: WIS-TV

Outback Steakhouse in Hilton Head

Source: The Island Packet

Texas

Outback Steakhouse in Houston (2 locations)

Bonefish Grill in Webster

Source: KTRK

Bonefish Grill in Katy

Source: Chron.com

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‘Closing a restaurant is never easy. It was a business decision and has no reflection on the employees or their service,’ a Bloomin’ Brands spokesperson told Clark.com. ‘We are giving all employees a severance package and are working to place them in our other restaurants.’

Expect more restaurant discounts in 2017

Clark says that all of this instability in the restaurant industry means that you need to keep an eye out for aggressive discounts, particularly at casual chains.

‘Even as the job market improves, consumers are looking for relatively low price points and the convenience to order online when they eat away from home,’ said Carla Norfleet Taylor with Fitch Ratings. ‘With persistent food price deflation, deal promotions will likely be a tactic restaurants use to get people in the door.’

At the end of 2016, Clark recommended that you think twice before buying a bunch of gift cards for restaurants that may suddenly shut down before the cards are able to be used.

With no major turnaround on the horizon for the restaurant industry, his advice stands for the year ahead.

Read more: These 5 restaurant chains face a difficult 2017

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