Lee Roy Selmon's

Lee Roy Selmon's was an American casual-dining restaurant chain established in Florida by Lee Roy Selmon, the former professional football player and Tampa Bay Buccaneers star. The concept focused on Southern-style cooking and comfort food, using dishes associated with the region and with Selmon's personal background. Examples of food associated with the chain included fried green tomatoes and pecan pie. The restaurant concept was originally owned by OSI Restaurant Partners, the hospitality group associated with Outback Steakhouse and other restaurant brands. In 2008, OSI sold Lee Roy Selmon's to Robert D. "Bob" Basham and Chris T. Sullivan, two of the founders of Outback Steakhouse. Selmon remained involved with the company after the ownership change and continued working with the restaurant business until his death in 2011. The chain remained geographically concentrated rather than becoming a broadly distributed national brand. At its peak or during its final operating period, it had three locations, all in west-central Florida. This regional footprint reflected the brand's close connection to Selmon, Florida sports culture, and a Southern-comfort-food positioning rather than an ambition to build a large nationwide network. In May 2018, the closure of the original restaurant location was announced. That location had operated for approximately 17 years. The closure marked the end of the chain's remaining identifiable presence and is generally treated as the conclusion of Lee Roy Selmon's restaurant operations. The brand is therefore a defunct regional restaurant concept. Available reference material does not establish a precise founding year, a current corporate owner, a public listing, a surviving official website, or a complete menu history.

Lee Roy Selmon's was a Florida restaurant concept named for Lee Roy Selmon, a former NFL player and prominent figure in the Tampa Bay area. The chain combined a celebrity-founded identity with a casual-dining format centered on Southern-style food and familiar comfort dishes. Its menu was associated with regional items such as fried green tomatoes and pecan pie. The concept was originally operated under OSI Restaurant Partners, the restaurant group connected with Outback Steakhouse. Unlike large national casual-dining chains, Lee Roy Selmon's maintained a small regional footprint. Its locations were concentrated in west-central Florida, and reference material identifies three restaurants during the chain's operating history. The available sources do not provide a definitive formal founding year; however, the original location was described in 2018 as having been open for about 17 years. A significant ownership change occurred in 2008, when OSI Restaurant Partners sold the concept to Robert D. "Bob" Basham and Chris T. Sullivan, both founders of Outback Steakhouse. Lee Roy Selmon continued to work with the company after the transaction, preserving the connection between the restaurant and its namesake. Selmon died in 2011, but the brand continued operating afterward. The chain's final phase was marked by contraction rather than expansion. On May 23, 2018, the closure of the original location was announced. Because the brand's restaurants were limited to west-central Florida and no continuing locations are identified in the reference material, the closure is treated as the end of Lee Roy Selmon's as an operating restaurant chain. The brand is now best understood as a defunct regional casual-dining business whose identity rested on Southern comfort food, Florida roots, and the reputation of its founder.

• 2018

  Original location announced for closure

  [1]Lee Roy Selmon'sen.wikipedia.org

  On May 23, 2018, the original Lee Roy Selmon's restaurant was announced as closing after approximately 17 years of operation.

• 2011

  Death of namesake Lee Roy Selmon

  [1]Lee Roy Selmon'sen.wikipedia.org

  Lee Roy Selmon died in 2011 after continuing to work with the restaurant concept following its ownership change.

• 2008

  Ownership transferred from OSI Restaurant Partners

  [1]Lee Roy Selmon'sen.wikipedia.org

  OSI Restaurant Partners sold Lee Roy Selmon's to Outback Steakhouse founders Robert D. Basham and Chris T. Sullivan. Lee Roy Selmon remained involved with the business after the transfer.

A Florida-rooted casual-dining concept built around Southern-style comfort food and the public identity of former NFL player Lee Roy Selmon.

• Restaurant meals

  Southern-style comfort food

  The chain's core offering was casual-dining food influenced by Southern cooking and American comfort-food traditions. The menu identity emphasized approachable regional dishes rather than a narrowly specialized cuisine, supporting the brand's Florida-based, family-friendly positioning.

• Appetizer or side dish

  Fried green tomatoes

  Fried green tomatoes were among the recognizable Southern-style dishes associated with Lee Roy Selmon's. The item reinforced the restaurant's regional-food identity and its emphasis on familiar comfort-food preparations.

• Dessert

  Pecan pie

  Pecan pie was one of the desserts identified with the chain's Southern comfort-food menu. It complemented the restaurant's broader positioning around traditional regional flavors and approachable casual dining.

• 2018

  Closure of the original restaurantOther

  Background

  The original Lee Roy Selmon's location had operated for approximately 17 years.

  Action taken

  The closure of the original location was announced on May 23, 2018.

  Aftermath

  No continuing Lee Roy Selmon's locations are identified in the available reference material, and the chain is treated as defunct.

  Source

• 2008

  Sale of the restaurant conceptM&A

  Background

  Lee Roy Selmon's was originally owned by OSI Restaurant Partners, the restaurant group associated with Outback Steakhouse.

  Action taken

  OSI Restaurant Partners sold the concept to Robert D. Basham and Chris T. Sullivan, founders of Outback Steakhouse. Selmon continued working with the company after the ownership change.

  Aftermath

  The chain continued as a small regional operation with three locations identified in west-central Florida.

  Source

• 2018

  Original Lee Roy Selmon's location announced for closure[1]Lee Roy Selmon'sen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The closure of the original Lee Roy Selmon's location was announced on May 23, 2018. The restaurant had operated for approximately 17 years, and the announcement effectively marked the end of the regional chain.

• 2011

  Lee Roy Selmon dies while remaining associated with the restaurant concept[1]Lee Roy Selmon'sen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Lee Roy Selmon died in 2011. Reference material states that he had continued working with Lee Roy Selmon's after the change in ownership.

• 2008

  Lee Roy Selmon's ownership transferred from OSI Restaurant Partners[1]Lee Roy Selmon'sen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  OSI Restaurant Partners sold the Lee Roy Selmon's concept to Outback Steakhouse founders Robert D. Basham and Chris T. Sullivan. Lee Roy Selmon continued working with the business after the transaction.

1. 1Lee Roy Selmon'sen.wikipedia.org