Bloomin' Brands to build flagship Fleming's and Bonefish Grill restaurants in Westshore
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Dec 3, 2021

Bloomin' Brands Inc. will invest millions of dollars in new flagship restaurants in Tampa's Westshore business district — replacing Roy's and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar with new versions of Fleming's and Bonefish Grill.

Tampa-based Bloomin' (Nasdaq: BLMN), which is also the parent company of Outback Steakhouse and Carrabba's Italian Grill, has already demolished Roy's building at 4342 W. Boy Scout Blvd. On that site, it will begin construction on a new Fleming's in late 2022, with plans to open in spring 2023. Once Fleming's is open, Bloomin' will demolish its existing Fleming's (next door to the Roy's property) and build a new Bonefish Grill there, with an opening tentatively in late 2023.

Roy's, a Hawaiian fusion restaurant that Bloomin' sold off years ago, closed in February 2020.

The construction is staggered, COO Greg Scarlett told the Tampa Bay Business Journal, to ensure the 150 people who work for both restaurants remain actively employed throughout the process. The new restaurants represent a combined $10 million investment. They will be consistent in square footage with the existing restaurants; Bonefish is 6,718 square feet, and Fleming's is 9,185 square feet.

Bloomin', Scarlett said, is focused on engaging and investing in its hometown of Tampa, and Fleming's has emerged as one of Bloomin's fastest-growing brands in recent years. The new restaurants are Bloomin's latest investment in Westshore; its headquarters is there, in the Corporate Center by International Plaza. In 2019, the company demolished Lee Roy Selmon's on Boy Scout Boulevard and replaced it with a flagship Outback Steakhouse.

"Building these two restaurants gives us great pride and our people great pride," Scarlett said. "Consistent with our primary focus as it relates to growth is Outback and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse," he said. "That said, we’ve experienced tremendous growth in sales in Bonefish and Carrabba's, and that growth has positioned us to further build new locations should we come across the right environment, piece of real estate and economics."

The new restaurants' design, Scarlett said, will incorporate glass features and potentially patios with outdoor dining and beverage stations. All of Bloomin's new restaurants are built to handle an ever-increasing number of off-premise orders, whether from third-party delivery apps or online orders. These two will also include that space and technology, even though they're built to emphasize the full-service experience.

"We're working through finalizing the details," he said. "But they're real showpieces."

The new Bonefish will replace one on Henderson Boulevard in South Tampa. Bloomin' owns the current Bonefish building, and Scarlett said he couldn't speak to any plans for that property.

"The real estate team is always looking for great opportunities," he said, "and we count on them to do what’s right for the brand at the right time."