The Only States In The US Without A Longhorn Steakhouse
With 595 locations across the United States, Longhorn Steakhouse is quite a commonplace chain around most of the country. Its emphasis on never using frozen steaks and only opting for fresh cuts of beef, combined with Longhorn's array of popular menu items, has made this steakhouse a well-known name around the USA. But despite these factors, there are still a number of states that can't claim to have a Longhorn Steakhouse within its borders.
If you live in Alaska, Nevada, Wyoming, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Minnesota, or Hawaii, you'll have to look outside the parameters of your state to enjoy Longhorn Steakhouse's signature dishes. You may ask why some states such as Florida contain as many as 76 unique locations, while the states listed above do not. There are a few potential answers to this question — some relying on demographics and some based more on conjecture. But let's combine both to try and determine why these eight states are lacking a Longhorn.
Alaska and Hawaii: A matter of geography
You won't find a Chipotle in Alaska or Hawaii, and the same is true about Longhorn Steakhouse. And unfortunately, there are a couple of contributing factors that make it doubtful that you'll see one anytime soon in these states. Both Hawaii and Alaska are much more remote than anywhere else in the continental United States, which could cause some issues when it comes to the supply chain of any burgeoning restaurant. Supplying the same fresh meats and produce to these states on a consistent basis, while certainly possible, could prove to be considerably more expensive compared to the other 48 states.
As anyone from a very remote community can attest, sometimes even the most reliable shipping services are prone to unexpected hurdles when delivering consistent services to the further-flung reaches of the country. Even if you were to throw a ton of money at this problem, it wouldn't completely eliminate the possibility of missed or late shipments; and that's something that a restaurant can't afford to have happen.
Longhorn grows where there's a large population
Longhorn Steakhouse has a slew of locations in states such as Florida, Georgia, and Texas, where high populations and the presence of many urban centers help these restaurants sprout up. Population is also a likely reason why states like Wyoming and Montana don't currently possess a Longhorn. According to the World Population Review, these two states have a combined population of less than 2 million, spreading a relatively small number of people across a vast land area. This leads to very few areas where Longhorn could realistically open a franchise in Wyoming or Montana.
Much like fellow American franchise Cracker Barrel, Longhorn has most of its locations in the eastern United States and becomes scarcer as you venture further north and west. This may explain why a Longhorn Steakhouse hasn't cropped up in states like Nevada, Washington, Oregon, or Minnesota, which all have an adequate urban population to facilitate a new franchise. Ultimately, it's somewhat difficult to discern why Longhorn hasn't opened in these states yet, but for now, you'll have to find another American steakhouse staple to try instead.