Steak Out

According to this site, the Sizzler USA restaurant chain has declared bankruptcy and the future of its 107 outlets is in serious question. This is not surprising in a time when all restaurants have been hit hard and the buffet-oriented ones (like Sizzler) have been hit the hardest.

But though The Pandemic obviously has a lot to do with it, that may not the the only reason. Note that in the linked article, they say this…

Sizzler USA has been in decline in recent years. Its unit count declined 6.9% last year, according to data from Restaurant Business sister company Technomic, and the number of locations it operates now is 15 fewer than it operated at the end of 2019. System sales have averaged a 2.5% decline the past five years, including a 3.8% decline in 2019, according to Technomic. Franchisees operate all but 14 of the company's locations.

Now, this is just anecdotal based on my experiences but during those last five years, I probably dined in four different Sizzlers in the greater Los Angeles area. I used to really like them as a place to pop in and get a quick meal that was fast but not fast food. I gave them up because in all four instances, I thought the food was not what it used to be. The steaks were tougher and less flavorful. The goodies in the all-you-can-eat-bar tasted older and/more sprinkled with preservatives. I felt like I was in a Sizzler knock-off that was trying to imitate Sizzler for less money.

The Pandemic has forced the closure of a lot of good, quality business establishments. No question. But it's also hastened the demise of a lot of not-great-even-if-they-once-were stores and eateries that were already on the downslope. If these places want to crawl back to viability, they might have to do more than blame COVID-19 and make everyone shop or dine six feet apart.