Tim Gannon

John Timothy Gannon is an American businessman and polo player, best known for being one of the founders of the restaurant chain Outback Steakhouse.

Early life Gannon was raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in a middle-class family. Gannon graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Art History.

Career Early career After graduating from Florida State University, Gannon traveled to Florence, Italy, where he worked as a tour guide and lecturer at art galleries while studying art history. He subsequently worked as a cook in Aspen, Colorado, before pursuing a career in the restaurant industry.

Gannon joined Steak & Ale under founder Norman Brinker, where he met future Outback Steakhouse co-founder Chris Sullivan.

Outback Steakhouse In 1988, Gannon co-founded Outback Steakhouse in Tampa, Florida, where he developed the Bloomin' Onion, the chain's signature appetizer, which has generated over $1 billion in worldwide sales. In 2006, he helped create OSI Restaurant Partners, which operates Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, Roy's Restaurant and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar.

Later career Following his departure from Outback, Gannon became a franchise partner in PDQ, a fast-casual chicken concept founded by fellow Outback co-founder Bob Basham. In 2016, Gannon and his son Chris co-founded Bolay, a health-focused fast-casual restaurant concept in Wellington, Florida, featuring customizable high-protein bowls.

Awards and recognition In 1994, Inc. named him Entrepreneur of the Year.

Personal life Gannon is the youngest of six children and has five children of his own.

Polo Gannon sponsors the Outback Polo Team. He has won five U.S. Open Polo Championships, in 1995 (with Julio Arellano, Sebastian Merlos and Guillermo Gracida, Jr.), 1996 (with Valerio Aguilar, Mike Azzaro, Jeff Blake and Guillermo Gracida, Jr.), 1999 (with Jeff Blake, Adolfo Cambiaso and Lolo Castagnola), 2000, and 2001 (with Adolfo Cambiaso, Fabio Diniz and Santiago Chavanne). In 2013, he was inducted into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in Lake Worth, Florida.

Television Year Title Role Notes 2012 The Great Food Truck Race Himself — Guest Judge Season 3, Episode 6: "Mistake by the Lake?"; challenged teams to create appetizers inspired by the Bloomin' Onion 2013 Steve Harvey Himself Discussed founding of Outback Steakhouse and polo career