Tim Gannon, co-founder of Outback Steakhouse, today joined The Original SoupMan as a member of the board of directors of SoupMan, Inc., as well as lead its business and culinary development. He will play a leading role in all aspects of R&D, procurement, creative oversight, and franchise development.

At Outback, Gannon developed the iconic Bloomin' Onion recipe, which is approaching $1 billion in sales, and was one of the key executives responsible for its growth to 1,400 restaurants in 28 countries and more than $3.5 billion in annual sales.

"When you want to win it all, you need the right players on the team," says basketball star Shaquille O'Neal, a SoupMan partner and brand champion. "Bringing Tim Gannon's talent, leadership, and experience to team Soup is amazing. He is a winner and I'm excited to work with him. He is another strategic step in continued growth of SoupMan and our national expansion plans."

Gannon was named "Entrepreneur of the Year" by Inc. Magazine in 1994; received The Florida Restaurant Association's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999; and was inducted into the U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2011, he launched "Kettle Comfort, Cooking for America," chef-inspired food that is delivered to thousands of hungry or nutrition-deprived people each day.

"I am thrilled to embark on the next chapter of my career with the team at Original SoupMan," Gannon says. "SoupMan's iconic brand and best-of-breed product provide the perfect platform to continue with my passion for developing food brands. I intend to leverage my experience in building the multibillion dollar Outback Steakhouse brand with SoupMan's multichannel sales strategy and look forward to moving from one great kitchen to another."