Sizzler Files Bankruptcy, But Did Anyone Know It Was Still Open?

Sizzler is the latest restaurant chain to succumb to bankruptcy, but did anyone know it was still around?

The steakhouse chain, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday, opened its first location in 1958 in Culver City, California, selling steak dinners for 99 cents at the time, its website said.

Today, the chain, which once graced the entire U.S., is primarily located in the West with restaurants in California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. There are also locations in Florida and Puerto Rico.

Sizzler cited the weight of the coronavirus on its business, saying in a statement obtained by Restaurant Business, “The filing is a direct result of the financial impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the casual dining sector, particularly long-term indoor dining closures and landlords’ refusal to provide necessary rent abatement.

The company continued by saying that the bankruptcy filing would allow Sizzler to “build a stronger future.”

While the news is despairing that yet another restaurant has suffered from the impact of the coronavirus, several social media users seemed confused by the announcement claiming they have not have seen a Sizzler restaurant for over a “decade.”

Another Twitter user expressed their confusion over the bankruptcy filing by saying, “I don't know what surprises me more. The fact that Sizzler is shutting down or the fact that Sizzler still existed past 1989.”

Yet another Twitter user remembered the restaurant from their childhood but was surprised at the news, saying , “The rest of the U.S. trying to wrap their head around the fact that #Sizzler was even still open being that we haven't seen one SINCE WE WERE 9!!!”

Still, others lamented over the possible loss of Sizzler standards. One Twitter user said, “NOT THE SIZZLER. We must protect the cheese toast.”

Sizzler, however, reminded cheese toast fans that it is still open and serving the menu favorite. The company said it plans to emerge from bankruptcy in 120 days, Restaurant Business said.