Sizzler is making a comeback.
Sizzler is returning to Australia, six years after closing its doors in Down Under.
Minor Hotel group will open the all-you-can-eat chain at their new NH Collection Hotel at Sydney airport in coming months.
Minor’s founder and chairman Bill Heinecke confirmed the news, with plans to expand the restaurant across the country.
“We have a number of exciting projects in Australia with the opening of the 90-room NH Collection hotel at 102-106 Robey Street, Mascot, and the Avani in Wollongong, and we are also looking at branded residences,” he told the media.
“Sizzler can be in hotels or as stand-alone sites, depending on the opportunities.”
The restaurant chain was created in Culver City, California in 1958 by Del and Helen Johnson.
Offering a steak meal for just $US0.99, the brand quickly became a favourite among diners seeking quality food at affordable prices.
Sizzler and it’s iconic menu is ready to return.
Sizzler’s plan at the time, according to current company president Chris Perkins, was to home in on the rapid success of McDonalds – and later In-N-Out – which, with its two-way speaker box, revolutionised America’s fast food industry and offered a respite from the drudgery of cooking at home.
“Del Johnson realised that you could have a McDonald’s burger or go to a diner or full service diner. 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,” he told media outlet SFGATE.
“Johnson was the godfather of fast-casual restaurants that exist today. Because of the model, the restaurant was able to keep its prices low.”
Former staff member Felicity Paddison with some of Sizzler’s famous cheese toast next to the salad bar. Picture: Chris Higgins
Sizzler expanded to Australia in 1985, opening its first restaurant in Annerley in Brisbane.
By 1992, Sizzler had expanded to 74 locations across Australia, marking the height of its popularity.
Fast food giants like KFC, Pizza Hut, and McDonald’s were also expanding, but Sizzler carved out a niche with its service-value-quality equation.
As Mr Perkins noted in 1992: “The consumer of the ‘90s… wants more for less… that’s why Sizzler has been so successful.”
Kevin Perkins, non-executive Chair of Sizzler USA Acquisition, in 1997.
Unfortunately, in the early 2010s, Sizzler faced challenges as underperforming stores closed. By 2017, the number of locations had dropped to just 17, primarily in Queensland.
The eatery closed all its Australian restaurants in November 2020 after the pandemic disrupted the business.
Today, the locations have transformed into daycare centres, libraries, and warehouses, while others remain vacant.
Back in 2024, Brisbane radio hosts Robin Bailey and Kip Wightman launched a Sizzler pop-up for one night only at the Coffee Club on Charlotte St.
– Additional reporting by Lydia Kellner