Sizzler
In the 1980s, the company's Sizzler business was struggling financially as popularity with the general public dipped. Sizzler appointed Thomas L. Gregory as president and CEO of the chain at the time. The brand underwent changes in menu selection and customer experience, which proved to help bolster the brand's profitability. Based on those results, Collins Foods International expanded further into Asia in 1992.[5]
In the mid-1990s Sizzler International was expanding aggressively in the Pacific region, but domestic sales began to return losses. In 1996, after debts reached approximately US$100 million, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. After some major restructuring and paying approximately US$70 million to creditors claims, Sizzler International recovered from the bankruptcy.[5]
In 2006, all 28 Sizzler restaurants across Australia temporarily suspended salad bar service after rat poison was found in two Brisbane Sizzler restaurants. Sizzler Australia referred to the incidents as sabotage.[27][28] The culprit turned out to be a woman described as being mentally unstable.[29]
In February 2008, PEP put Sizzler up for sale.[30] In 2011, Sizzler USA acquired all Sizzler restaurants based in the United States.[31]
In the 2013 financial year, Collins Foods reported stalling revenue for its Sizzler operations in Australia, blaming the downturn of the casual dining sector in the country.[32] In June 2015, Collins Foods wrote down the value of Sizzler by AU$37.5 million. In an investors meeting by Collins Foods, CEO Graham Maxwell states: "We no longer consider Sizzler to be a strategic growth prospect in Australia and therefore we will not be investing further capital".[33] At the time of the fiscal announcement in 2015, Collins had 26 company-owned Sizzler restaurants across Australia and 61 franchised Sizzler restaurants around Asia.[34] Collins Foods began to close a limited number of Sizzler restaurants in Australia, with greater focus directed to their KFC operations. Meanwhile, Sizzler operations in Asia continued to thrive, with further expansion plans in China.[35]
In 2016, Collins Foods operated 21 Sizzler restaurants in Australia, a decrease of two stores compared to the financial year 2016. Collins Foods had operated 65 Sizzler restaurants in Asia during the same year, an increase of five stores compared to the previous financial year.[16] An additional two stores in Asia were planned for the financial year 2017.[17]
In 2020, Collins Foods closed its six remaining Sizzler stores in China due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.[36] In October 2020, Collins Foods announced that it would be closing all nine remaining Australian Sizzler restaurants by 15 November 2020, citing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on revenues.[37][38] Collins Foods said of the three restaurant brands that it operates, Sizzler had been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.[39]
Although Collins had closed all company-owned restaurants in 2020, Collins continued to license the use of the Sizzler restaurant brand for use in Thailand[40] and Japan.[41] In June 2023, it was announced that Collins would sell its Sizzler Asia business to Minor International for sgd21 million, ending its relationship with the Sizzler brand.[42]
