About Us

Our People

Steve Grantham Jr

President

Steve’s contagious passion for connecting with people, developing strong teams, and serving his community was tailor-made for the business his father began building over 20 years ago. In 1993, Steve Grantham, Sr., formed J&R Restaurant Group as the Outback Steakhouse franchisee for Mississippi and West Tennessee.

As the popularity of his Outbacks grew, so did the number of restaurants. Steve, Jr., joined as President of J&R Restaurant Group since 2006. With a Sales and IT background, Steve, Jr., brought with him an ability to connect with people and spot areas where businesses of any kind excel in service and customer satisfaction.

Also in 2006, Steve began supporting the Mississippi National Guard. Since then, the J&R Restaurant Group and its local Outback Steakhouses have supported numerous units across the state for weekend drills, deployment readiness weekends, retirement and rank advancement ceremonies, and family day events.

J&R also supports the local Veterans Administrations and the Mississippi Veterans homes in Collins, Jackson, Kosciusko and Oxford, with annual dinners for residents and staff.

Steve and Outback have also supported Veterans Day events with luncheons and sponsored the PT-17 trainer flyovers in 2012 & 2013 for the Veteran’s day parade.

Steve has been involved with the annual Trail of Honor paying tribute to America’s military personnel past & present since 2009.

Today, Steve, Jr. oversees the growth, culture, and community relations of J&R Outback Steakhouses, including Flowood, Hattiesburg, Meridian, D’Iberville, Tupelo and Southaven (all in Mississippi), as well as Cordova and Jackson, Tennessee.

Steve is married to his wife, Mary Grantham. Steve and Mary have three children – Wiley, Gayle, and Victor. Wiley and Victor are both Eagle Scouts.

Russell Perry

Chief Operations Officer

Russell is a 44 year veteran of the hospitality industry and has been a part of J&R Restaurant Group for 29 years. As the Chief Operations Officer, he leads a dedicated team of over 500 Managers, Staff, and Support Personnel.

Russell has served in several positions with J&R, and was instrumental in the growth of the company. His responsibilities include the day to day operations and leadership of all J&R Restaurant Group’s Outback Steakhouses as well as the training and maintenance departments. He also serves on advisory committees for Bloomin’ Brands.

He is a native of Memphis, TN, and attended the University of Memphis with majors in Accounting and Management. 

Mission

Since our first Outback Steakhouse opened in 1993, we’ve been guided by one belief: “The one constant in everything we do is people.” Today, we operate eight restaurants in Mississippi and Tennessee. But that simple statement continues to be the foundation of 5 Principles that guide us with every staff member we grow, every meal we serve, every partner we team with, and every community we support.

Culture

Our culture is inclusive, caring, proud, hardworking, and fun. That means developing quality people and managing quality restaurants. But it also means giving back to our local communities by supporting military veterans, local schools, Scouts BSA, disaster recovery efforts, and Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks. It also means making every day a little more fun through our connections to SEC Football, local music and concerts, and catering parties & events.

Community

We truly believe we make our communities a little better each day by making sure every table, seat, meal, and drink we serve in our restaurants and catering events is the best it can be. But we also serve our communities each day by offering a warm and welcoming place for people to come together. We believe every community grows stronger when every person has a place where they can feel comfortable to talk a little longer, smile a little wider, and laugh a little louder.

Communication

We believe communication should be open at all times. We think everything gets better when people talk directly, share problems openly, provide answers quickly, and feel totally welcome seeking a little comfort—whether they just need a great dinner to get over a tough day or a helping hand to get through a tough spot.

Courage

We think courage matters. To us, it’s about being aware in a moment where stepping up and putting ourselves on the line can make all the difference. Our sense of courage comes from the inspiration that the U.S. Armed Forces show every day as its members band together to make the world safer at home and abroad. It also comes from everyday people who link arms and give extra through their time and resources to provide support and comfort to those around them.

Careers

People are J&R’s most valuable resource. J&R employs over 750 people in Mississippi and West Tennessee, and we’re always looking for talented, hardworking, and caring people to join our team.

As a franchisee of Outback Steakhouse, J&R Restaurant Group is a family-owned business devoted to our brand, our employees, customers, and shareholders.

J&R is extremely involved in each of the communities we serve through charitable and military events. J&R fosters a family environment for employees where all are invited to voice their concerns, ideas and suggestions. J&R is committed to providing a friendly workplace environment to all employees and management.

Interested in becoming part of the J&R Restaurant Group family? Contact us today.

Click below to find open positions at locations near you.

Locations

Leading with Head, Heart and Hands