Outback Steakhouse is a casual dining American restaurant chain based in Tampa, Florida with over 900 locations in 23 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. It specializes in USDA Choice and, occasionally, Prime steaks and other offerings in an Australian-inspired environment.It was founded in February 1988 by Bob Basham, Trudy Cooper, Chris T. Sullivan, and Tim Gannon. It is owned and operated in the United States by OSI Restaurant Partners, and by franchise and venture agreements internationally. In 1997, it entered the South Korean market through the franchise agreement with Aussie Chung Inc. Currently, there are nearly 70 Outback Steakhouse locations throughout South Korea.On June 14, 2007, OSI Restaurant Partners completed a stock repurchase plan, and the company is now privately held. Other OSI restaurant chains include Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, Roy's, Flemings, and Cheeseburger in Paradise.There are five Outback Steakhouse restaurants in Hong Kong as of 2007.