July 27, 2005
Former Outback Steakhouse partner to develop South Florida R.J. Gator’s
Jupiter, Fla.
– Mike Costello, a former partner with Outback Steakhouse, has joined
the R.J. Gator’s team to develop the South Florida market.
As
part of a partnership with area president, David Moliver, the two have
made a commitment to open between six and eight R.J. Gator’s within the
next five years.
The first of these locations is scheduled to
open October 1 in Cutler Ridge, just south of the Miami metro area, on
the corner of US-1 and Eureka Drive (SW 184th Street).
With more
than 20 years experience in the restaurant industry, Costello was
involved with Outback Steakhouse in Long Island, New York for 10 years,
three of which he was recognized as the “Partner of the Year.”
After
working with Outback Steakhouse, Costello transferred to West Palm
Beach, Florida to begin area development for Stonewood Grill &
Tavern’s southeast market. Soon after, he was approached by R.J.
Gator’s, a Florida Sea Grill & Bar based in Jupiter, and in May
2005, he joined the team as an area operations manager.
“I
immediately saw R.J. Gator’s as a strong company with a lot of
potential,” said Costello. “Many of the things that caught my eye
with Outback fifteen years ago are apparent in the brand that R.J.
Gator’s is building now.”
Since opening with one location on
Indiantown Road nearly 20 years ago, R.J. Gator’s has grown to a
22-unit chain with locations throughout the southeast. The
company has experienced record growth this year, increasing its size by
more than 50% with a total of 12 openings scheduled.
Each of the
new locations are between 4,000 and 6,000 square feet and feature an
updated décor, including open air kitchens, U-shaped indoor-outdoor
bars, large covered patios, waterfalls, raw bars, full-service take-out
areas and plasma screen televisions throughout.
Mr. Tim
Timoteo, who founded R.J. Gator’s in 1986, came to Florida from
Pennsylvania, where he owned a successful chain of steakhouses.
Searching for a concept that would stand out among the others, he
created a casual Florida-style restaurant with a hometown atmosphere
and a Caribbean-influenced menu.
“With its unique
ambiance and high quality casual seafood, R.J. Gator’s has created a
niche in the casual dining segment,” added Costello. “It is for
this reason that I am confident in its potential to be a great
investment.”
For more information, please visit www.rjgators.com.
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Media Contact:
Quantified Marketing Group
407.936.1010
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