What Happened to Once Popular Restaurant Chain Sizzler? The Truth About the Steakhouse
Trouble for Sizzler began back in 1996, when the chain closed 130 locations nationwide.
Published Nov. 5 2025, 9:27 a.m. ET
When people think of fads, trends, and memories of things from when they were younger, it doesn’t just include pop culture, fashion, television, and movies. Food, in this case, restaurants, also sparks fond memories of a trip back in time.
Popular restaurant chain Sizzler was once a staple for many Americans in the 1980s and '90s, but things went south with the company due to bankruptcy. Let’s find out what happened and where things stand with the brand now.
What happened to Sizzler?
Faced with increasing competition, the first sign of trouble for Sizzler began back in 1996, when the chain closed 130 locations nationwide and officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to the company’s website.
A planned comeback a few years later proved to be unsuccessful when the company decided to shift to the chain’s concept upmarket. As a result, 21 additional Sizzler restaurants were shut down in 2001.
Sizzler continued to be in dire financial straits, trucking along and reinventing itself for years, and then came the COVID-19 pandemic that would make things even worse, as one of the restaurant’s signature features, the salad bar, had to be eliminated.
Sizzler once again filed for bankruptcy in September 2020, despite reporting steady steak sales, per the company. Sizzler’s U.S. locations dwindled significantly from a high of 270 to just the 77 that still remain.
In 2024, Sizzler announced plans to make a full-scale comeback by going back to basics and reminding former customers what they initially loved about the restaurant.
Speaking with SF Gate, company president Chris Perkins shared the details of what Sizzler plans to do to lure back customers and reclaim the magic of its heyday over 30 years ago.
“Del Johnson realized that you could have a McDonald’s burger or go to a diner or a full-service dinner,” Chris began. “There wasn’t something in the middle at a lower price, where you order at the counter, then have the food brought to your table.”
“Johnson was the godfather of fast-casual restaurants that exist today. Because of that model, [Sizzler] was able to keep its prices low,” he said. He also shared that the chain has plans to revamp its offerings for a new generation of customers.
In addition to the welcome return of the salad bar, there will also be a beverage bar and hot appetizers and an updated dessert bar.
However, Chris made it clear that the main attraction of Sizzler is still its top focus, which is the signature steaks. Serving an estimated 725,000 steaks annually, the company president revealed that in an effort to keep costs down, Sizzler steaks will be cut in-house.
The previously popular steak-and-lobster entree is now priced at $30, much lower than Sizzler’s fellow restaurant chain competition.
The company, which was founded in California, currently has most of its restaurants in the state, but Chris hopes that if sales increase, additional U.S. expansion could be around the corner.