Australian-themed American casual dining restaurant chain Outback Steakhouse is expanding to Schaumburg, located at 1140 Plaza Dr.
The new 4,936-square-foot building will move into the northwestern outskirts of Woodfield Mall, moving into the former site of Panera Bread. Schaumburg trustees recently approved the construction of the new building. A representative from the company was unable to confirm with What Now Chicago whether or not this will be franchise-owned or corporate-owned, only that the company is interested in the area. The new Outback Steakhouse likely won’t be completed until late 2022 or the first quarter of 2023.
Currently, the company has another location at 216 E. Golf Road, just east of Roselle Road, which will remain open until the new Outback Steakhouse arrives. A representative of Outback Steakhouse told the village’s zoning board members earlier this month that there is currently an interested party wanting to occupy the site the restaurant will be leaving.
There are currently 17 locations throughout Illinois. The company is now planning to open up to 100 more locations featuring a next-generation design with a smaller size, new technology, and a revamped interior design. The new buildings will elevate the in-restaurant dining experience with a modern Aussie-inspired flare and devote more space to take-away, delivery, and Outback’s newly launched nationwide catering program.
“This new restaurant design features the Aussie spirit of Outback from the moment you arrive at the restaurant with a warm and welcoming dining room while also allowing us to optimize Outback’s strong to-go and delivery channels,” said Brett Patterson, President of Outback Steakhouse. “The smaller size also allows us to bring restaurants to areas where larger units may not have been possible.”
