September 30, 2011
For the past 10 years, Eddie Young has been proprietor of Outback Steakhouse in Edgewater. He’s known as much for his generous support of local fundraisers as he is for the steaks and Bloomin’ Onions. Eddie lives in Leonia with his wife Meg and their three children. He put himself through college waiting tables and has been in the restaurant business ever since.
Q: Describe yourself in 20 words or less.
A: I’m the luckiest guy you’ve ever met. Great wife and kids, great town, good health, and I’m a Yankee fan.
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I was born in Queens. When I was 10, we moved to Paramus.
Q: Did you work in restaurants as a teenager?
A: No. Back then I cut grass, shoveled snow, split wood and was an All-Star Carrier for The Bergen Record. I liked to stay active.
Q: Where did you attend college?
A: I started at Bergen Community College and graduated from Ramapo with degrees in marketing and economics.
Q: What was your first job after college?
A: I had a lot of interviews for $13,000 a year corporate jobs and was shown cubicles of where my desk would be, but decided an office job wasn’t for me. I needed to move around, be with people, and have fun. I became a captain in the Rainbow Room in New York City.
Q: How long have you been with Outback?
A: Eighteen years. I got my feet wet with Outback in Springfield, where I was the proprietor for five years. For two years, I helped open Outbacks in the New York Metropolitan area – hiring, training, etc. When the Edgewater restaurant opened 10 years ago, I became the proprietor.
Q: You have helped so many local organizations raise money for their causes. How many fundraisers do you do per year?
A: Roughly 4,000 charities ask us for support every year. On average, I sponsor about 100 – anything from youth sports teams to ill children. I love helping people and meeting new people. I’m always the chef for charitable events.
Q: Do you have a favorite chef on the Food Channel?
A: I rarely watch television. When I have free time, I spend it with my family.
Q: How many steaks do you serve every week?
A: About 1,200. We also serve around 200 Bloomin’ Onions every night.
Q: What’s the most outrageous request you’ve had?
A: We have had people bring in their own vegetables and ask us to cook them, which we do. Truckers ask for the “Truckers Special” of steak and eggs. If we have the ingredients, we’ll make anything people request.
Q: How many hours a week do you work?
A: A lot, but I love every minute! Today (Saturday) is a 20-hour day for me because we serve lunch on weekends.
Q: Did you survive Hurricane Irene?
A: That Saturday was a very scary night, with the storm, high tide and a full moon. We boarded up the windows, put sandbags at the doors, and drove employees who needed rides home after River Road closed. Fortunately we had no damage.
Q: How do you unwind after work?
A: I grab a bottle of water and take a post midnight walk on Glenwood Avenue. I’m rarely alone; every night I see wildlife including deer. In the past few weeks, I’ve even seen a pair of turkeys.
Q: What’s your favorite vacation spot?
A: Cape Cod for two weeks in August. We seem to always run into fellow Leonians at the drive-in movie theater in Orleans.
Q: Do you have a favorite hobby?
A: I enjoy deep sea fishing when we’re at Cape Cod.
Q: How did you meet your wife Meg?
A: We both worked at the Marriott Glenpointe.
Q: Where do you take your family to dinner?
A: We enjoy Italian food – at Fontana di Trevi or Dante’s in Leonia.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about Leonia?
A: The people. When we held the fundraiser for Leonia Fire Chief Troy Wright, the entire community came out in support. It was our best event ever, with two seatings and over $50,000 raised.
Leonia Lives 