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© St. Petersburg Times, published May 20, 2002
Nearly two years after signing a $1-million deal with singer Jimmy Buffett, Outback Steakhouse Inc. of Tampa is poised to open its first Cheeseburger in Paradise, a tropical-theme restaurant inspired by the 1978 cult hit.
The new chain, Outback's seventh, will feature live music, knee-wobbling frozen drinks, key lime pie and, fittingly, ground beef. But Cheeseburger's handlers picked a somewhat unlikely place to inaugurate the concept: Indianapolis, where palm trees are as rare as the ocean mist.
Chain president Debbie Eybers says it's all about escapism. "It's freezing cold (there) in the middle of the winter. Where can you go and feel like you're in Key West?"
Even more important, she says, is that the Midwest is the epicenter for Buffett fans, nicknamed Parrotheads. Cincinnati, perhaps the country's largest Parrothead gathering site, is next on Eybers' list. She hopes to open four or five more Midwest locations next year.
Buffett already has a chain of restaurants, called Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, but they're located in tourist spots such as Universal Studios in Orlando.
Eybers is working methodically toward the September opening. Tom Kempsey, a veteran foodie at Outback, is developing Cheeseburger's menu with help from outside chefs. Beverage director Rich Verrecchia worked with liquor consultants ShowTenders Inc. of Orlando to come up with the drink menu, which includes the Flirtini, a martini with pineapple juice and champagne, and Euphoria, a pina colada garnished with "lizard lips" shaped from fruit.
Prices will be the lowest of any Outback chain, averaging about $15 a person for food and drink. Burgers will go for about $7. About 30 percent of revenues is projected to come from liquor, nearly triple the percentage at Outback Steakhouse.
If the song Cheeseburger in Paradise is any indication, however, health food will not grace the menu.
"At night I'd had these wonderful dreams, some kind of sensuous treat," Buffett sings about a brief flirtation with vegetarianism. "Not zucchini, fettucini or bulgur wheat, but a big warm bun and a huge hunk of meat."