The Accidental Millionaire

Mild-mannered. Affable. Humble. These are probably not words you expect to hear of a multi-millionaire businessman, but with PRASOON MUKHERJEE, chairman of Outback Steakhouse, that’s exactly what you get.

- Aimee Fordos

Considering its status as a stalwart on the Singapore F&B scene, its hard to believe that Australian-inspired, American-born Outback Steakhouse (located at Orchard Gateway) only came to Southeast Asia through a slice of luck.

In 2000, having spent five years establishing himself as an entrepreneur in coal, oil and real estate with his business, Universal Success Enterprises (USE), Prasoon Mukherjee made a trip to Los Angeles. The purpose of the trip, he explains, was to find a magic brand for his theme park in Jakarta. What he came back with would change his life forever.

“Someone suggested a few restaurants to try while I was there, one of which was Outback Steakhouse. So I went along for three days in a row before I finally got a table. When I tried the food, I thought, ‘This is perfect for Asia.’”

It may have been the spice mix that first tickled his palate, but it was the mid-range concept that really grabbed his attention. “In Asia, you either had mass-market steakhouses, or you had Morton’s, but nothing in between.”

And so he became the Southeast Asia franchisee, and Outback Steakhouse joined his fold of businesses. Seventeen years and 13 restaurants later, his instincts have proved right. “It has really been the perfect concept,” he says. “Other American casual-dining concepts have come and gone in Singapore and Southeast Asia, but Outback has been constant.”