Sizzler

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Re: Sizzler

Post by storewanderer »

Bagels wrote: January 24th, 2022, 12:00 am At my local Sizzler, a 6 oz steak and potato went from $12.99 to $16.99 . The classic trio (steak, shrimp, Malibu chicken) went from 17.99 to 22.89.

I knew price hikes were coming, but I can get a much better meal for similar money at outback or Black Angus…
I wonder if your location was corporate and then was transferred to a franchise.

The trio is 18.99 at the corporate location in Sacramento (Madison).
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Re: Sizzler

Post by Super S »

So...I finally went to the Longview Sizzler to eat yesterday.

I ordered from the main menu a steak and shrimp meal. It was about average, not excellent, but certainly not bad. Price was about average.

But....as somebody who has eaten at this location on and off for 25+ years, I can say that I don't think this location is going to last much longer.

The salad bar was there, but seems to be whittled way down from what it used to be and looks even more limited. Of note was the ice cream machine was stuck in a corner with a cord wrapped around the wall, and no sundae toppings were out. Not a single thing appealed to me and it continues to justify my opinion that it is not worth paying extra for.

The restaurant itself was a bit dirty. The tables were clean but the walls in the booths were dirty, and there was quite a bit of dirt present on the A/C vents, as well as a couple places where paint was peeling from the ceiling and it looked like something was splashed on it from below near the salad bar area as there are drip stains. There were several TVs which were all turned off for some reason.

But the most annoying thing was how pushy they were as I was ordering. I was asked (all for extra money) if I wanted the salad bar. I said no. I was asked if I wanted to upgrade to a larger steak. I said no. I was asked if I wanted an additional side. I said no to that also.

And the service....they literally had one person doing double duty taking orders and waiting on tables, with another manager type who never left the counter. It was dead in there with maybe two other tables occupied. The waitress came by once when my food came out. I didn't even leave a tip. There was no excuse for bad service given how dead it was.

This used to be a very well-run location, and continued to be for a while as Sizzler locations in surrounding areas disappeared. I am not sure if the ownership has changed, but yesterday had a whole different vibe to the place than any previous visit. As I mentioned, this location was starting to decline before COVID hit, and now the decline seems to be accelerating. Sad to say this will likely be my last visit to this Sizzler.
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Re: Sizzler

Post by Jeff »

https://www.yelp.com/biz/sizzler-montebello

On a Sizzler side note, my local one reopened about two months ago after being closed for about 2 years. It was remodeled and has been extremely busy every day since reopening. On weekends, they actually have valet parking because parking is hard to find, even street side parking. If you cannot get there when it opens, chances are you may not find parking and a line inside.

This Sizzer will be the last to survive as even before the pandemic it was busy.
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Re: Sizzler

Post by bryceleinan »

The local Sizzler in Sparks has had some continual issues with the health department... have not been there in a few months, so not sure how much they have fixed.

https://data.rgj.com/restaurant-inspect ... -0745food/
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Re: Sizzler

Post by storewanderer »

bryceleinan wrote: May 10th, 2022, 8:02 pm The local Sizzler in Sparks has had some continual issues with the health department... have not been there in a few months, so not sure how much they have fixed.

https://data.rgj.com/restaurant-inspect ... -0745food/
Not sure who owns that Sizzler anymore. It used to be the Salt Lake City franchisee Sizzling Platter. That Sizzler through the years continues to pull in a decent crowd. Lots of families.
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Re: Sizzler

Post by Super S »

The Sizzler in South Tacoma/Lakewood has closed. It looks like (according to the article) the Longview Sizzler is now the only one left in Washington:

https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/loc ... 07072.html

I honestly don't know how much longer the Longview location is going to last.
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Re: Sizzler

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Super S wrote: January 21st, 2023, 8:31 pm The Sizzler in South Tacoma/Lakewood has closed. It looks like (according to the article) the Longview Sizzler is now the only one left in Washington:

https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/loc ... 07072.html

I honestly don't know how much longer the Longview location is going to last.
Interesting. This is the same group who owned the one in Sparks that closed. The article says Reno, but there has been no Sizzler in Reno for decades (Sizzling Platter converted it into Ruby River, then later sold that brand off; that restaurant is still in business in Reno). They were trying to sell Sparks for $100,000 but nobody took it. Lease assumption and I assume would have to buy a franchise from Sizzler or pay some kind of a transfer fee. The signs were removed from the building within the past few weeks there in Sparks.

"In 2018, when Starr and his partner purchased the Lakewood Sizzler, they bought two others: one in Tukwila and one in Reno. Today, all three locations are closed, he said."

I am somewhat of a shock at the pricing posted for the Lakewood location in a December 2022 Google Photo. I know Sparks was also very very high priced toward the end.

Mega Bacon Burger 16.99
Classic Burger 15.99
2pc Malibu Chicken 17.99
Fish and Chips 16.99

I went over to the online site for the Sizzler in Sacramento on Madison that is corporate operated and see the following pricing:
Mega Bacon Burger 12.49
Classic Burger 10.69
2pc Malibu Chicken 15.99
Fish and Chips 11.99

Can't help but wonder if this franchisee killed itself with outrageous pricing.
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Re: Sizzler

Post by Brian Lutz »

For comparison, prices at one of the Sizzling Platter locations in Utah (Sandy):

Mega Bacon Burger 13.99
Classic Burger 11.99
2pc Malibu Chicken 13.99
Fish and Chips 14.99

I know Washington can be a rather expensive state to do business in, but at those prices I doubt they were doing much volume.
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Re: Sizzler

Post by storewanderer »

Brian Lutz wrote: January 21st, 2023, 10:26 pm For comparison, prices at one of the Sizzling Platter locations in Utah (Sandy):

Mega Bacon Burger 13.99
Classic Burger 11.99
2pc Malibu Chicken 13.99
Fish and Chips 14.99

I know Washington can be a rather expensive state to do business in, but at those prices I doubt they were doing much volume.
These franchisors have got to do something about these franchisees who run with these sky high prices. It harms the entire brand to price like that. The problem is there are a lot of legal cases out there that basically side with the franchisee and give the franchisee the right to price how they see fit. I see outrageous pricing happening in different geographies with many of these franchised brands. All it takes is a couple of franchisees who are either really greedy, or really leveraged with massive debt costs to service, and suddenly you have a $8.09 Whopper in Reno, a $12.99 3pc Chicken Strip/1 side Combo at a Popeyes in Concord, a $7.99 milkshake at a Steak N Shake in Denver, or a $7.79 Wendy's Single at Wendy's in Sacramento. Some franchisees I've called out on their pricing have told me part of the reason they are pricing so high is due to low unit volumes it is the only way to collect enough revenue to break even. My response is volume is going to get lower and lower if you keep pricing this way.
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Re: Sizzler

Post by Super S »

storewanderer wrote: January 21st, 2023, 9:25 pm
Super S wrote: January 21st, 2023, 8:31 pm The Sizzler in South Tacoma/Lakewood has closed. It looks like (according to the article) the Longview Sizzler is now the only one left in Washington:

https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/loc ... 07072.html

I honestly don't know how much longer the Longview location is going to last.
Interesting. This is the same group who owned the one in Sparks that closed. The article says Reno, but there has been no Sizzler in Reno for decades (Sizzling Platter converted it into Ruby River, then later sold that brand off; that restaurant is still in business in Reno). They were trying to sell Sparks for $100,000 but nobody took it. Lease assumption and I assume would have to buy a franchise from Sizzler or pay some kind of a transfer fee. The signs were removed from the building within the past few weeks there in Sparks.

"In 2018, when Starr and his partner purchased the Lakewood Sizzler, they bought two others: one in Tukwila and one in Reno. Today, all three locations are closed, he said."

I am somewhat of a shock at the pricing posted for the Lakewood location in a December 2022 Google Photo. I know Sparks was also very very high priced toward the end.

Mega Bacon Burger 16.99
Classic Burger 15.99
2pc Malibu Chicken 17.99
Fish and Chips 16.99

I went over to the online site for the Sizzler in Sacramento on Madison that is corporate operated and see the following pricing:
Mega Bacon Burger 12.49
Classic Burger 10.69
2pc Malibu Chicken 15.99
Fish and Chips 11.99

Can't help but wonder if this franchisee killed itself with outrageous pricing.
High prices are becoming the norm at restaurants in Washington. For starters, the minimum wage is now at $15.74 an hour, which also covers tipped employees (restaurant workers) and is now the highest state minimum wage. We also have some of the highest fuel prices, which factors into the cost of transporting goods. This translates into higher prices at restaurants. Sizzler is far from alone with high prices, I have noticed this in every type of restaurant from fast food to locally owned restaurants. It gets even worse at locally owned restaurants which are not franchised or affiliated with any chain and it's common for a single meal to be in the $20-$30 range, and breakfast is starting to get to that range as well. $10+ for a fast food meal is common now also. I have been visiting restaurants much less these days.
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