Tim Gannon is an American businessman and polo player.

Early life

Tim Gannon graduated from

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...

, with a degree in Art History.BusinessWeek
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Career

Gannon started his career at the Four Seasons Hotel, Steak & Ale and

Al Copeland Alvin Charles Copeland (February 2, 1944 – March 23, 2008) was an American entrepreneur who founded the Popeyes fast food chain. He was also a successful restaurateur who created many successful upscale restaurants. Personal life Born in New O ...

's Cajun Cafe in New Orleans.Thayer Ventures biography
/ref> From 1984 to 1987, he served as Vice President and Director of Development of Al Copeland Enterprises.OSI Restaurant Partners biography
/ref> In 1988, he co-founded

Outback Steakhouse Outback Steakhouse is an American chain of Australian-themed casual dining restaurants, serving American cuisine, based in Tampa, Florida. The chain has over 1,000 locations in 23 countries throughout North and South America, Asia, and Australia ...

. In 2006, he created

OSI Restaurant Partners Bloomin' Brands, Inc. is a restaurant holding company that owns several American casual dining restaurant chains. The company was established in 1988 in Tampa, Florida, where it is headquartered. History The company was founded in August 1988 ...

, which operates Outback Steakhouse,

Carrabba's Italian Grill Carrabba's Italian Grill (or simply Carrabba's) is an American restaurant chain featuring Italian-American cuisine. It is owned and operated by Bloomin' Brands, and headquartered in Tampa, Florida. History The chain was founded on December 26, ...

Bonefish Grill Bonefish Grill is an American casual dining seafood restaurant chain owned and operated by Bloomin' Brands, headquartered in Tampa, Florida. The company was founded on January 15, 2000, in St. Petersburg, Florida by Tim Curci and Chris Parker. ...

, Roy's Restaurant and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. He sits on the Advisory Board of Thayer Ventures. In 1994, '' Inc.'' named him Entrepreneur of the Year. He is the recipient of the Florida Restaurant Association's Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from

Johnson & Wales University Johnson & Wales University (JWU) is a private university with its main campus in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded as a business school in 1914 by Gertrude I. Johnson and Mary T. Wales, JWU enrolled 7,357 students across its campuses in the fa ...

. He was inducted in the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce Business Hall of Fame.

Polo

Gannon sponsors the Outback Polo Team. He has won three U.S. Open Polo Championship, in 1995 (with Julio Arellano, Sebastian Merlos and Guillermo Gracida, Jr.), 1996 (with Valerio Aguilar,

Mike Azzaro Mike Azzaro is an American professional polo player from San Antonio, Texas. Azzaro's current handicap is 6 goals, but he held the sport's highest handicap of 10 goals for over ten years. Azzaro was awarded ''Polo Magazine's'' Polo Excellence ...

Jeff Blake Jeffrey Bertrand Blake (born December 4, 1970) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. Blake was a member of seven teams during his career, playing his longest stint with the Cin ...

and Guillermo Gracida, Jr.) and 1999 (with Jeff Blake, Adolfo Cambiaso and Lolo Castagnola).Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame: 2013 Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
/ref>Hurlingham Media: U.S. Open Polo Championship
In 2013, he was inducted into the

Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame The Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization to celebrate the sport of polo.Horace Laffaye, Dennis J. Amato, ''Polo in the United States: A History'', Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, 2011, p. 28/ref> Overview It ...

Lake Worth, Florida Lake Worth Beach, previously named Lake Worth, is a city in east-central Palm Beach County, Florida, United States, located about north of Miami. The city's name is derived from the body of water along its eastern border known as the Lake Worth ...

. His son, Chris Gannon, is also a polo player. In recent year, his son opened a chain of fast-casual dining restaurants across Florida that feature gluten-free and vegan options named Bolay.Horace A. Laffaye, ''Polo in the United States: A History'', Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co., 2011, pp. 260, 313G2 International biography
/ref>Patrick David Columbia
Casa Casuarina's Miami Beach Polo World Cup
''New York Social Diary'' His Outback Polo Team, whose other players include Adolfo Cambiaso, Fabio Diniz, Santiago Chavanne, won the U.S. Open Polo Championship in 2001.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gannon, Tim Living people Florida State University alumni American businesspeople American polo players Year of birth missing (living people)