Pat Hafner was promoted to president of Carrabba’s Italian Grill, an Italian-themed chain owned by multiconcept operator Bloomin’ Brands. He joined Carrabba’s as vice president of operations in 2018.

Hafner’s restaurant industry career includes 21 years at Outback Steakhouse, where he began as a server and climbed the corporate ladder to eventually become a regional vice president for the chain.

In his new role, Hafner assumes responsibility for leading the operations and development for approximately 220 Carrabba’s restaurants across the United States.