Pat Hafner

President of Carrabba’s Italian Grill and Aussie Grill

Patrick (Pat) Hafner has served as the President of Carrabba’s Italian Grill since May 2022.  He is responsible for leading the domestic operations and development of more than 220 Carrabba’s restaurants nationwide.  In October 2023, he added leadership for Aussie Grill to his responsibilities.

Pat brings more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry.  He started his career with the company in 1996 and spent 21 years with Outback Steakhouse before moving to Carrabba’s Italian Grill to serve as Vice President of Operations in 2018. 

He was recognized as Restauranteur of the Year by the New Mexico Restaurant Association in 2014 – the highest honor a restauranteur can achieve in New Mexico – for his contributions to the advancement of the restaurant industry.  He is a past recipient of the prestigious “Outbacker of the Year” award, which acknowledged his contributions in strengthening operations and building talented teams at Outback Steakhouse.

Pat earned both his bachelor’s degree and MBA from the University of New Mexico and served as the President of the New Mexico Restaurant Association.  He currently serves on the board of directors for Feeding Tampa Bay.