Sizzler

Type	Restaurant
Founded	1958
Headquarters	Newmarket, Brisbane, Australia
Key people	Del and Helen Johnson (founders)
Industry	restaurants
Products	steak, seafood, salads
Website	Sizzler

Sizzler (founded in 1958) is an United States-based, Australian owned ^[1] restaurant chain with headquarters in Newmarket, Brisbane, serving steak, seafood, and salad (from a large salad bar), as well as similar items. Sizzler is globally owned and managed by Collin's Food Group, a private Australian company ^[2].

Contents 1 History 2 Photos 3 Food safety 4 Pop Culture 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

[edit] History

The chain was founded in 1958 as Del's Sizzler Family Steak House by Del and Helen Johnson in Culver City, California.^[3] The chain is composed of more than 270 locations throughout the U.S.^[4]. 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.^[5] 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"[3]) 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.^[5]

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 The Myer Centre (photo taken at Elizabeth Street in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia)

Sizzler restaurant at Toowong Village in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

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.^[6] Sizzler Australia referred to the incidents as "sabotage".^[7] The culprit turned out to be a mentally unstable woman from Brisbane.^[8]

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.^[9] 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.^[10]

[edit] Pop Culture

During an episode of Fresh Prince of Bel Air Hilary claims to have been left at a Sizzler as a child by Uncle Phil.

In the episode "Kelso's Seranade" of That 70's Show Jackie asks Hyde to go to a Sizzler. Ironically this would be a reference to the Sizzler in Wisconsin that was closed down due to E.Coli.

In the Married...With Children episode "Live Nude Peg", Kelly is talking to Bud about gaining weight for playing a part of the before girl in a diet advertisement. While Kelly thinks its impossible to gain 30lbs in one weak, Bud explains that Grandma Wanker gains that much every time they go to Sizzler.

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 Ghostbusters 2, Peter Venkman (played by Bill Murray) remarks, "All you can eat barbecue rib night at the Sizzler?"

In the Full House "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."

In Happy Gilmore, a fan of Shooter McGavin named Donald (Joe Flaherty), invites Shooter to a Sizzler- his treat!

In a episode of The Nanny Fran mentions to her mother on the phone about how they cant eat at sizzler because her mother is not welcome there after she took half of the dessert bar with her.

In the movie White Men Can't Jump, Sizzler is mentioned several times. "We goin' Sizzler" is the perhaps the most well-known quote from the movie, and was subsequently used as sports trash talk.

During the episode of Two and a Half Men titled "My Damn Stalker" Jake claims to Berta, that "the ancient Romans had a place called a "vomitorium" where people could eat as much as they wanted, puke, and then eat some more." Berta replies "Wow, just like the Sizzler."

In the movie "21", Kevin Spacey's character says Jimmy got a job, "I said Google not Sizzler."

In 2009, screenwriter Reed Fish announced that he'd photograph every Sizzler in America with his wife.^[11]

[edit] See also

• List of casual dining restaurant chains

[edit] References

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)

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sizzler

• Official website
• Sizzler - official website in Australia
• Sizzler - official website in Singapore
• Sizzler - official website in Japan