Throughout the late ‘80s and ‘90s, Sizzler became a cultural phenomenon with its salad bars, sizzling steaks, and family-friendly atmosphere and its first-ever Australian location, Sizzler Annerley, holds a unique significance for Brisbane food lovers. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and explore the rise and fall of this beloved restaurant.
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In 1985, Collins Foods, the parent company of Sizzler, Taco Bell, and KFC, opened the doors of Sizzler Annerley. Offering a diverse menu featuring steaks, pasta dinners, and cheese toasts, the restaurant quickly gained popularity among locals and set the stage for the brand’s expansion across the state.
As Sizzler’s success soared, the chain opened several other popular locations throughout Queensland, including Loganholme, Mermaid Beach, Toowoomba, and Ipswich. For years, these restaurants thrived, attracting families, couples, and friends who relished in the casual dining experience that Sizzler had to offer.
However, as time went on, the casual dining sector in Australia faced challenges. In the 2013 financial year, Collins Foods reported stalling revenue for their Sizzler operations, attributing it to the downturn in the industry.
In 2017, Taco Bell set foot in Annerley, taking over the premises of the former Sizzler restaurant.
Then came the unexpected blow of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many other businesses in the hospitality industry, Sizzler experienced a severe decline in customers, leading to the closure of numerous locations.
After 35 years of delighting taste buds and creating memories, the final Sizzlers in Mermaid Beach, Loganholme, Toowoomba, Maroochydore, and Caboolture closed their doors in 2020.
The closures affected not only the restaurants but also the dedicated employees who had served customers for years. Hundreds of employees were either provided redundancy packages or offered new roles at KFC or Taco Bell, as Collins Foods aimed to mitigate the impact of the closures.
Whilst Collins Foods made the difficult decision to close its Australian Sizzler locations, it continues to licence the use of the Sizzler restaurant brand for use in other countries. Currently, Sizzler restaurants can still be found in Thailand and Japan, carrying on the legacy and taste that many Australians grew up with.
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Although Sizzler Annerley and its fellow Australian counterparts have become a thing of the past, their memories live on. Generations of Queenslanders will forever cherish the times they spent gathering around Sizzler’s salad bars, savouring mouth-watering steaks, and enjoying the camaraderie that the restaurant fostered.
Published 10-July-2023
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