One of the world’s most storied restaurant brands will soon welcome hungry Wake Forest residents as Outback Steakhouse puts the finishing touches on its new location at Grove 98.
With menu options ranging from its trademarked Bloomin’ Onion to its Hooley Dooley Coconut Shrimp, the Australia-themed eatery has earned a cult following over the past 38 years. Its brand is now ubiquitous across the U.S. and also highly visible internationally in nations as far-flung as Brazil and South Korea. There are now about 1,000 Outback Steakhouse locations around the world. Its Tampa, Fla.-based parent, Bloomin’ Brands (Nasdaq: BLMN), also owns and operates Bonefish Grill and Carrabba’s Italian Grill family restaurants, as well as the expense-account-oriented Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar chain.
“We’re really looking forward to joining the Wake Forest community and becoming part of everyday moments for our neighbors,” said Elizabeth Daly, Director of Communications at Outback parent company, Bloomin’ Brands. “Outback Steakhouse has always been about bringing people together over a great meal, and we’re excited to be a place where families and friends can gather and feel right at home.” While Daly says a grand opening date has not yet been set, she expects the new location will launch “as early as this summer.”
The arrival of Outback Steakhouse on an outparcel along the northeastern edge of Grove 98 sustains the considerable momentum in Phase III of the busy retail destination, especially among food and beverage purveyors. Late last year, Summer Moon Coffee began offering its unique array of coffee-based beverages in a 1,000-sq.-ft. space there, giving life to local owners Daniel and Monica Drennen’s entrepreneurial dreams.
In the past 18 months, the Stiles Corp property has also welcomed Five Guys, a popular international chain featuring burgers, hot dogs, and fries, just a few steps away from Outback. A few doors down is Piada Italian Street Food, an Ohio-based concept featuring pasta bowls, flatbread sandwiches, and salads. Another Ohio dining chain, Korea-inspired BIBIBOP, serves customized rice bowls and fruity beverages at Grove 98, the company’s second North Carolina location. Dave’s Hot Chicken has been serving up spicy chicken tenders and sandwiches at Grove 98 since early 2025.
Fitness, wellness, and personal care businesses have also staked out their Wake Forest presence at Grove 98. In February, a growing franchise called Sweathouz began offering 60-minute “contrast therapy” sessions – an infrared sauna complemented by an immersive plunge in 50-degree water and a Vitamin C-infused shower. A year ago, Raleigh-based O2 Fitness returned to Wake Forest with the opening of a 40,000-sq.-ft. “Signature” gym at Grove 98, which now offers a busy schedule of personal training, physical therapy services, and fitness classes. The quadrant is now home to Lee Nails Spa, a nail salon franchise, and VIO Med Spa, a provider of body contouring, skin rejuvenation, hydrofacials, IV therapy, and other aesthetics services.
“Grove 98 has shifted the center of gravity of Wake Forest’s retail sector considerably,” says Jason Cannon, President of the Wake Forest Business & Industry Partnership (WFBIP). “The visible array of prominent national and local brands is generating job growth and adding to the Town’s fiscal base. These businesses also add greatly to the quality of life of Wake Forest’s growing population,” Cannon says.
Grove 98’s emergence began in early 2021 when Stiles Corporation delivered a 104,000 sq.-ft. space to Wegman’s that would become a destination supermarket. The Florida-based mixed-use real estate developer then began developing Phase II across Dr. Calvin Jones Highway, where it recruited additional retailers, eateries, and service providers. Stiles’ vision for the property’s northwest quadrant also included The Lindley at Grove 98, an amenity-rich apartment complex that began welcoming residents in late summer 2023.
“Stiles’ partnership with Wegmans got the ball rolling on Grove 98, and their stewardship of that entire initiative has exceeded expectations,” Cannon says. “As the saying goes, nothing succeeds like success.”
With décor that includes boomerangs, surfboards, and cans of Foster’s Lager, Outback Steakhouse sprung from the success of the hit 1986 film Crocodile Dundee. In 1988, four restaurant veterans opened the first Outback location in Tampa. Though none had ever visited Australia, the founders sensed a fascination among U.S. consumers with the “Aussie” aesthetic and responded with a fun, affordable family dining concept. The chains’ rapid success led to an initial public offering in 1991. Outback has stayed current with changes in dietary preferences, adding more chicken, seafood, and salad items to its menu. It has also responded to post-COVID dining trends such as curbside take-out service, digital ordering, and modernized interior design.
“Outback Steakhouse is an engaging, reliable dining brand that has succeeded in staying ahead of the fast-moving and often fickle restaurant industry,” says Cannon. “I suspect my family is among many in Wake Forest really looking forward to dining on a delicious meal there and enjoying a memorable experience.”
