Wagga’s Sizzler closed in 1997. Photo: Museum of the Riverina (Bungay collection).
This week, we’re heading back to the 1990s and an iconic restaurant chain that has all but disappeared from the Aussie landscape.
Sizzler!
This photo shows the old Sizzler building which closed on 9 February 1997 with the loss of about 70 jobs.
The franchise opened on Hammond Avenue in 1993 with almost 290 seats for customers and as many as 110 full- and part-time staff.
Famous for unlimited soft serve ice creams, an endless salad bar, the signature cheesy toasted bread and mediocre steaks, the restaurant was initially a hit.
How good was the Sizzler cheese toast? Photo: Sizzler.
Sizzler originated in the United States in the 1950s and arrived in Australia in 1985 in Brisbane.
The family-friendly restaurants boomed into the 1990s but their popularity waned through the decade and stores closed across the country.
Some survived here and there and it was only in 2020 that the Aussie Sizzler franchise finally came to an end.
For those still longing for a dose of that mouthwateringly thick and greasy cheesy bread, the recipe was simple – margarine and pecorino cheese slathered on the bread and fried in a pan!
Did you eat at Wagga’s Sizzler?
What was your favourite feature?
Information and featured photo supplied by Michelle Maddison, curator at the Museum of the Riverina.
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