BLOOMIN' ADVENTURES

Gannon, with Yaeger, tells his story of the many life experiences that prepared him to help found Outback Steakhouse—and perfect its Bloomin’ Onion appetizer.

The author, who was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, started selling newspapers in the 1950s at age 9 and began parking cars at a valet stand as a teenager. His story of hard work starts there, but he knew how to have fun, too; his friend Phil Heatley introduced him to the world of polo, and he became an avid fan. That sport was put on a back burner while Gannon went to college at Florida State University; he also spent a couple of years studying abroad in Florence, Italy. When he returned, he got into the restaurant business—first working as a sous chef for the head of the Aspen Institute, learning about French cuisine. He was a dedicated worker and developed expertise in food flavors; later, he worked as a general manager for the restaurant chain Steak and Ale, where he was mentored by Chris Sullivan, who would become one of the co-founders of Outback Steakhouse, along with Gannon and others. When Outback finally made it big, Gannon lived out a teenage dream to fund a polo team, and he got to play with the very best of the best. Gannon’s memoir is sometimes a bit repetitive, but it’s a fun read and clearly comes from the heart. The author’s chatty prose style is friendly and open, with meaningful life advice and entertaining personal stories exquisitely mixed to create the perfect blend, much like the combination of seasonings that the author created to make the perfect Bloomin’ Onion, which he notes is “the best-selling appetizer ever.” In each phase of his story, Gannon’s willingness to give, his loyalty to his friends, and his calculated risk-taking are inspirational.

A good read filled with great food, spontaneous adventures, and a healthy dose of hard work.