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, 1986, by John Charles "Johnny" Carrabba III and his uncle Damian Mandola.
Together, they opened the first restaurant on Kirby Drive in
Houston, Texas
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
. A second location was opened soon after at the intersection of Woodway and Voss Road. After a considerable enlargement of the restaurant, it was renamed "Rosie Carrabba's" in honor of Damian's sister Rose. Johnny Carrabba and his family are still the proprietors of both original locations.
In January 1993, under a
joint venture with Outback Steakhouse, Inc. (the predecessor to
Bloomin' Brands), 10 new Carrabba's locations were opened in Houston and
Florida. Two years later, OSI acquired the rights to develop the Carrabba's chain nationwide.
In 2008, OSI teamed up with
HMSHost to open the first airport location in
Tampa International Airport.
As of 2013, there were more Carrabba's restaurants in Florida—home to parent company Bloomin' Brands' corporate headquarters—than any other state in the United States.
In 2015, the first Carrabba's international location opened in Brazil, rebranded as "Abbraccio"
In 2020, Carrabba's expanded into Canada, opening a location in
Moncton
Moncton (; ) is the most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. Situated in the Petitcodiac River Valley, Moncton lies at the geographic centre of the The Maritimes, Maritime Provinces. The ...
,
New Brunswick.
In 2021 Bloomin Brands bought out the founders of Carrabba’s Italian Grill in a royalty termination agreement. As part of the agreement the founders kept their original two locations in Houston.
Menu
Many of the recipes for the dishes on Carrabba's menu are those of Damian's mother, Grace, and his sister, Rose. These recipes were featured on the
PBS cooking show ''Cucina Sicilia'', which is hosted by Carrabba and Mandola.
Chicken Bryan, one of Carrabba's Italian Grill's dishes,
features an 8 oz grilled
chicken breast, topped with goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, and a
basil lemon-butter sauce. The dish is named after the city of
Bryan
Bryan may refer to:
Places United States
* Bryan, Arkansas
* Bryan, Kentucky
* Bryan, Ohio
* Bryan, Texas
* Bryan, Wyoming, a ghost town in Sweetwater County in the U.S. state of Wyoming
* Bryan Township (disambiguation)
Facilities and structur ...
(Texas), where the Carrabba family settled.
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
Bloomin' Brands website
{{Authority control
Companies based in Tampa, Florida
Italian-American cuisine
Italian restaurants
Restaurants established in 1986
Restaurant chains in the United States
1986 establishments in Texas
Bloomin' Brands
American companies established in 1986