Sizzler is making a comeback, a rare move in an era of closures in the quick-service restaurant market.

Tavern, the creative agency that is attempting to help the steakhouse chain reinvent itself, said that Sizzler previously “faced an identity crisis and lost its way.”

That is changing.

The idea conceived in 1958 by Del and Helen Johnson of Culver City, California, is still alive, with Sizzler remodeling its current locations without changing the brand’s core appeal -- affordability and a casual dining atmosphere.

Robert Clark, Sizzler’s chief growth officer, said in a recent interview that the previous management group tried to take the chain in a different direction.

“And it just never worked,” Clark said. “Our current leadership (CEO Chris Perkins was hired in 2019) is much more focused on ‘hey, let’s take the best of Sizzler and let’s make it even better.’”

At its peak in the 1990s, Sizzler had 700 locations in the United States, with customers enjoying its casual dining experience that included a full-service dinner buffet.

But dwindling locations and the COVID-19 pandemic forced the chain, which opened its first store in 1958, to declare bankruptcy.

The buffet went away, although the all-you-can-eat salad bar remains.

Clark said the company has seen a 47% uptick in sales in the renovated restaurants. Sizzler currently has 74 locations nationwide -- mostly located on the West Coast -- and has revamped two of them since 2023.

California has the most remaining Sizzler locations with 50, followed by Puerto Rico with 10. Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah, also have Sizzler locations.

In its heyday, Sizzler had locations nationwide. Clark wants the brand to return to its roots while presenting modern conveniences.

“We feel like we have a really great brand here,” Clark said. “And our results have been very solid. We constantly pop up in pop culture. I think what we’re trying to do with the remodel is really stay relevant and have facilities and assets that meet our reputation.

“We understand that remodeling is probably the single biggest driver of guests in the restaurant. It’s the most important thing I think we could do aside from a lot of other operational things we’re doing as well.”

The chain is also trying to revive its iconic “The Sizzler” dish, which was phased out in the early 2000s. The meal featured a steak served on top of thick-cut fries and caramelized onions, along with a garlic demi-glace.

Tavern said it was focusing on the brand’s rich history while modernizing its assets to keep pace with chains like Outback Steakhouse and Texas Roadhouse.

“Instead of throwing away decades of heritage in the logo, we built upon it by stripping it back, slanting it and stamping it into place as a literal cattle brand,” Tavern said.

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