Lawrenceville Outback Steakhouse Closes

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ - The Outback Steakhouse in the Mercer Mall off Rt. 1 in Lawrenceville has closed. Its last day of business was Thursday.

The decision to close the chain restaurant was made at the corporate level, a spokeswoman for the corporate chain told Patch. Bloomin' Brands Inc. owns Bonefish Grill, Carrabba's, Outback Steakhouse and Fleming's. Bloomin' Brands made the decision to close 43 underperforming restaurants nationwide this week, including the Lawrenceville location. In Middletown, NJ, Bonefish Grill and Carrabba's, were also both shut down. A Carrabba's in Egg Harbor Township and a Carrabba's in Evesham will also close.

"Closing a restaurant is a difficult decision. It was based purely on business circumstances and has no reflection on employees or their service," said Elizabeth Watts, a spokeswoman for Bloomin' Brands. "We have provided severance for all employees and are working to place as many as possible in our other restaurants."

There is no word yet what will re-open in the Mercer Mall location.

An Outback Steakhouse in Flagler County, Florida March 18, 2016 Author: Michael Rivera/Wikimedia Commons