Sizzler restaurant in Olympia closes

A spokesman for Sizzling Platter LLC of Murray, Utah, the restaurant management company that operated the Olympia Sizzler, said the business closed Sunday.

Spokesman Gary Shatswell said the lease expired Feb. 28.

“The landlord wouldn’t agree to a rent structure that would allow us to operate the restaurant at a profitable level,” he said.

The company also explained the lease situation to customers via a sign on the front door of the restaurant.

“The lease on this Sizzler location recently came due with our landlord, and it is with much heartache that we inform you this Sizzler location is now permanently closed,” the sign said.

Tuesday, some Sizzler employees were busy loading a rental truck with equipment. Two employees said they learned about the closure Monday, while another person there said they could not comment, deferring comment to Sizzling Platter.

Shatswell was unsure how many employees worked at the location, although a typical Sizzler employs about 70, he said.

“We do our best to find a home for our staff,” Shatswell said.

Sizzling Platter also operates Sizzler locations in Tukwila, Tacoma and Bremerton, according to its website.

“We very much loved that community and it’s sad to go,” Shatswell said.