Mike Palmer to head up Outback Steakhouse restaurant operations

Mike Palmer is to head up the Outback Steakhouse restaurant chain as operations director after managing director Phil Broad's defection to coffee giant Starbucks.

UK Outback has six Australia-themed diners and will open its seventh on a Stevenage leisure park in May.

Palmer was one of two joint-venture partners working under Broad that bought the Outback franchise to the UK in 2000.

Broad will be managing director at Starbucks UK and replaces Cliff Burrows, senior vice-president and president for the UK, who has been promoted.

By Chris Druce

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