Outback outpost in Richmond

Saw this little item in the Tampa Bay Business Journal this week:

Café Caturra, a Richmond, Va.-based restaurant chain, has picked up some high-profile support from Chris Sullivan, co-founder of Outback Steakhouse and its parent company OSI Restaurant Partners LLC.

Sullivan and his family have become partners with the principals of Café Caturra, said Stephanie Amberg, a spokeswoman for OSI, which is not involved in the concept. “His role is more of a mentor to the team,” Amberg said.

Café Caturra has three locations in the Richmond area and serves artisan coffee by day, boutique wine by night and simple, fresh food throughout the day, according to its Web site.

The company recently raised $300,000 in a private placement to build a restaurant in Short Pump, Va., a Richmond suburb. Amberg said plans call for building cafes in Virginia and the Carolinas over the next couple of years.