Sizzler
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Type | Restaurant |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1958 |
| Headquarters | Culver City, California |
| Key people | Del and Helen Johnson (founders) |
| Industry | restaurants |
| Products | steak, seafood, salads |
| Website | Sizzler |
Sizzler (founded in 1958) is a United States-based restaurant chain with headquarters in Culver City, California, serving steak, seafood, and salad (from a large salad bar), as well as similar items.
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[edit] History
The chain was founded in 1958 as Del's Sizzler Family Steak House by Del and Helen Johnson in Culver City, California.[1] The chain is composed of more than 270 locations throughout the U.S.[2]. Most of Sizzler's U.S. locations are in the West.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Sizzler promoted mainly steak and combination steak dinners with the optional salad bar. The restaurant wanted to give the customer the feel of a full-service restaurant, but at a price just slightly more than that of a fast food chain. To keep costs down, many of the restaurants had their own in-house meat cutters where they would cut their own steaks and grind their own hamburgers. Heading into the mid 1980s, competition began to appear from other casual-dining restaurants. After promotions such as "All-you-can-eat" fried shrimp, the chain decided to expand its popular salad bar into a full buffet promoted as the "Buffet Court".
Patrons began to use the buffet as their meal instead of an add-on to an entree. In response, Sizzler began to lower the quality of food in other areas of the menu.[3] Customers took notice and Sizzler's reputation suffered. It was a classic example of an arms race between Sizzler and their customers, with strategies and countermeasures to gain the advantage, but in the end both sides were losers. Sizzler filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1996 ("primarily to void leases"[1]) and closed 140 of 215 stores. They reemerged from chapter 11 in 1997. During the late 1990s, new management upgraded the quality of food but also increased prices. Sizzler's revenue flat-lined, and 21 locations were closed in 2001. Sizzler began an image makeover around 2002. A new restaurant concept was created featuring a lighter and more open dining room. The changes were accompanied with a new menu. In an effort to return to their roots, steaks, seafood, and the salad bar are now being reemphasized while the all-you-can-eat buffet is being phased out.[3]
Sizzler also has restaurants throughout the world including Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, and Thailand. In January 2008, Sizzler announced it was planning to take action against the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) of Urbandale, Iowa, over the use of the name "Sizzler" for its tripler, which began that month (when the option is selected by the player, any prize(s) won, except the jackpot, is/are tripled) in the US Hot Lotto game.
Sizzler owns the Pat and Oscar's restaurant chain in southern California.
[edit] Photos
 Sign for Sizzler at |
 Sizzler restaurant at The Myer Centre in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (no longer exists) |
 Sizzler restaurant at Toowong Village in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
 Sizzler in Musashino, Tokyo, Japan |
 Sizzler sign at The Myer Centre at Queen Street Mall in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
[edit] Food safety
In 2006, all 28 Sizzler restaurants across Australia suspended salad bar service after rat poison was found in two restaurants.[4] Sizzler Australia referred to the incidents as "sabotage".[5] The culprit turned out to be a mentally unstable woman from Brisbane.[6]
In 2000, over 60 people became ill and a young girl died in an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 that originated at a Sizzler restaurant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Health officials said that the likely source of contamination was meat supplied by the Excel Corporation meat packer. They believe that cross contamination to other food items occurred when Sizzler employees handled the meat near areas where salad bar items were prepared.[7] This was similar to an outbreak in Washington state and Oregon in 1993. In the 1993 case, as in 2000, the tainted meat apparently came from Excel, and contaminated salad bar items.[8]
[edit] See also
[edit] Pop Culture
In the movie "The Goonies, The Sheriff talks about a lie that Chunk had told "Yeah, like that time you told me about the fifty Iranian terrorists who took over all the Sizzler steakhouses in the city? "
In the Full House episode "Terror In Tanner Town," Danny's girlfriend's son tucks a tablecloth into Danny's pants, causing the plates to fall off the table when he gets up. When Joey is immediately blamed, he replies that he has never put anything down Danny's pants. After a dirty look from Danny, Joey confesses, "Well...once, at the Sizzler."
[edit] References
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This article needs references that appear in reliable third-party publications. Primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject are generally not sufficient for a Wikipedia article. Please add more appropriate citations from reliable sources. (December 2006) |
- ^ Sizzler USA Franchise, Inc. | http://chainleader.com
- ^ Sizzler.com - Our History
- ^ a b Norris,Maya (2006-09-01). "Cast in a New Light". Chain Leader. http://www.chainleader.com/archives/2006/09/sizzler.asp. Retrieved on 2007-01-01.
- ^ Police seek Sizzler rat poison victim
- ^ http://www.sizzler.com.au/content/files/downloads/media%20statement.pdf
- ^ Sizzler woman too sick for court
- ^ Beef grinder close to salad prep area, official says
- ^ Cross contamination caused outbreak
