Bloomin' CEO wants new Westshore Fleming's 'to be the best steakhouse in town'
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: May 2, 2023

The new flagship location of Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar will break ground in mid-May — and the CEO of parent company Bloomin' Brands Inc. has an ambitious vision for the restaurant.

"We want to be the best steakhouse in town," David Deno, Bloomin' CEO, told the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

It's a bold statement in the hometown of the nationally recognized Bern's Steak House. But Deno, who became CEO of Tampa's best-known headquarters in 2019, is known for his bold leadership.

Bloomin' is building a collection of its concepts in the shadow of its corporate headquarters in the Westshore business district. Fleming's new location will be built on the site of the former Roy's at 4342 W. Boy Scout Blvd. When the new Fleming's opens, Bloomin' will demolish it and build a flagship Bonefish Grill in its place.

Venture Construction Co. received a permit for Fleming's on April 17, city building records show. The restaurant will be 13,268 square feet, and building records peg the cost to build its shell at $3.5 million. A private groundbreaking ceremony is set for May 16.

The new Fleming's and Bonefish will follow an Outback Steakhouse that opened in the original Lee Roy Selmon's on West Boy Scout Boulevard in 2019. That Outback has become a real-time test kitchen for Bloomin', where the chain has debuted new technology and other features, Deno said.

Bloomin' on Friday reported profits of more than $93 million in the quarter that ended March 26, up from $75.5 million in the same time period last year. Same-store sales — a figure that excludes sales growth from new locations — was up over 5% across all of Bloomin's concepts.

The Westshore restaurants aren't the only new units Bloomin' plans to deliver in the years ahead. Deno said there will be a "significant uptick in new unit development" in 2024, though he declined to disclose any figures. The company has previously said it has growth ambitions in the Sun Belt, particularly for Outback Steakhouse, and could build up to 100 restaurants in the coming years.