Have you ever eaten at Outback Steakhouse? The answer is most likely yes.

And did you believe that a Bloomin Onion is an actual Australian dish? Well, you likely may have but probably won’t admit it.

Well, an article by Shirleene Robinson last year titled “Inventing Australia for Americans: The Rise of the Outback Steakhouse Restaurant Chain in the USA” analyzes this American-owned, Australian-themed restaurant. The article explores questions of “How do these restaurants represent and depict Australia? Who controls these depictions? Do these restaurants have any influence on the way Australia is viewed by citizens of the United States? Finally, do these restaurants have any influence on the concepts of nationality that Australians—both within Australia and internationally—feel?”

We found it quite interesting and hope you will give it a read here and let us know your thoughts.