Area served United States Founded 26 December 1986 | Genre Casual dining Number of locations 247 (2015) | |
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Type Wholly owned subsidiary Founders John Charles Carrabba, III, Damian Mandola Profiles | ||
Carrabba s italian grill restaurant
Carrabba's Italian Grill (or simply Carrabba's) is an American restaurant chain featuring Italian-American cuisine, owned and operated by Bloomin' Brands and headquartered in Tampa, Florida. As of December 27, 2015, there were 247 locations.
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Carrabba s italian grill review
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. A second location was opened soon after at the intersection of Woodway and Voss street. 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, more Carrabba's restaurants are in the state of Florida—home to parent company Bloomin' Brands' corporate headquarters—than any other in the United States.
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 caprino cheese, sundried tomatoes, and a basil lemon-butter sauce. The dish is named after the city of Bryan (Texas), where the Carrabba family settled.