Mike Palmer is to head up the Outback Steakhouse restaurant chain as operations director after managing director Phil Broad’s defection to coffee giant Starbucks.

UK Outback has six Australia-themed diners and will open its seventh on a Stevenage leisure park in May.

Palmer was one of two joint-venture partners working under Broad that bought the Outback franchise to the UK in 2000.

Broad will be managing director at Starbucks UK and replaces Cliff Burrows, senior vice-president and president for the UK, who has been promoted.

By Chris Druce

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