Skip to main content
Iconic steakhouse chain closed over 625 restaurants, only 74 left
The chain has filed for bankruptcy twice, but management believes the brand can be revitalized.
- The chain was founded in 1958.
- It had over 700 locations at its peak.
- The brand is famous for its all-you-can-eat salad bar, which offers much more than salad.
In college, my roommate and I looked for value when it came to our off-campus dining choices. Chains like Oliver Garden, which offered unlimited soup and breadsticks, were on our radar, as were various local bars with all-you-can-eat wings promotions.
Every now and again, we went to breakfast at Ponderosa, a chain that offered all-you-can-eat weekend breakfast and brunch for a reasonable price. The food wasn’t all that good, but there was bacon, sausage, and a waffle bar, which were good enough for our needs back in the early 1990s.
For dinner, however, one brand was sort of the holy grail of value and decadence. If we went to Sizzler, we could get a passable steak, along with access to its all-you-can-eat salad bar, where the biggest attraction was the impossibly thick New England clam chowder.
Sizzler was founded way back in 1958 with a simple motto.
Why does a nice juicy steak have to break the bank?
Sizzler website
That remains a valid question, but the chain has struggled for decades, dropping from a high of over 700 locations to under 80 now. The brand, however, or at least its management, believes a comeback is possible.
Where Sizzler stands now
QSR Magazine’s Danny Klein interviewed Sizzler Chief Growth Officer Robert Clark about the chain’s latest rebirth efforts. Clark has been with Sizzler since 1984 working in a variety of positions before joining the C-Suite.
In his 41 years with the company, Clark has seen a lot of attempts to change or revitalize the chain. Most, he noted, were ill-advised and focused on changing the brand.
“Our current leadership is much more focused on hey, let’s take the best of Sizzler and let’s make it even better,” he told QSR.
Sizzler has survived, despite filing for bankruptcy in both 1996 and 2000.
CEO Chris Perkins, who has held that job since 2019, acknowledged that the chain’s struggles can’t be blamed solely on Covid.
“Many of the company-owned restaurant locations were struggling pre-pandemic,” Perkins said Restaurant Business reported.
He blamed a lot of factors, including higher labor costs and local taxes that made it difficult to maintain profitability.
Sizzler plans a comeback
The chain has focused on remodeling stores. That has worked, according to QSR magazine:
- The brand saw a sales increase of roughly 47% in updated restaurants.
- A location that finished an update a few months ago hiked sales 100 percent.
- Sizzler has completed nine updates in the last two years and has a plan for franchisees to follow suit.
“We feel like we have a really great brand here,” Clark told the magazine. “And our results have been very solid.”
or sign in with
The company, for its part, wants to get back to its mission statement:
“Sizzle is the magic that you get when we take the time to invest in the little things. And that’s still what we do today, from the perfect sear on our hand-cut steaks to the crispy parmesan smothered cheese toast with every meal,” it shared on its website.
Sizzler timeline:
- 1958: Founded by Del and Helen Johnson in Culver City, California, offering budget-friendly steak, seafood, and salad bar.
- 1960s-1970: Expanded across California and the U.S.; became known for its all-you-can-eat salad bar.
- 1970s-1980s: Rapid U.S. growth and initial international expansion into Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Asia.
- 1990s-2000s: Faced heavy competition from chains like Outback Steakhouse and Applebee’s; many U.S. locations closed.
- Filed for bankruptcy in both 1996 and 2000.
- 1996 bankruptcy source: Los Angeles Times
- 2020 bankruptcy source: NPR
- Filed for bankruptcy in both 1996 and 2000.
- 2010s: Focus shifted to Australian operations, which became the brand’s main market.
- The last Australian locations closed in 2020.
- 2025: The chain has focused on remodeling its remaining U.S. locations.
Here’s what’s left of Sizzler
There are 74 Sizzler locations in the United States as of June 27, 2025.
Breakdown of top states/territories:
- California: 50 locations (68% of the total)
- Puerto Rico: 10 locations
- Utah: 4 locations
- Oregon: 4 locations
- Idaho: 3 locations
- Arizona: 2 locations
- New Mexico: 1 location
- Source: ScrapeHero
The chain’s most recent closures include its last-remaining Florida location on Irlo Bronson Highway in Kissimmee, near Disney World.
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment