Will Sizzler’s comeback actually work, or is it all nostalgia?
Chris and Anne rate the odds and compare it to the Chi-Chi’s revival happening in the Twin Cities. Chris jokes there is only one correct steak rating, rare or medium rare, and that is the same rating he gives to the likelihood of his family dining at a Sizzler. He never grew up with Sizzler in the Midwest, but he has seen how nostalgia can drive huge crowds. The recently reopened Chi-Chi’s near him has been packed for months.
The question is whether it lasts. Once people get their nostalgia hit, do they go back? Anne explains that the new Chi-Chi’s feels more elevated than the gritty, beloved version from the 80s and 90s. The chips and salsa still slap, but the rest is pricier and more polished. Her verdict: fine, not iconic.
This leads to the bigger question. Can Sizzler bring people in for nostalgia and then keep them coming back once that feeling fades?
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