Sizzler filed for bankruptcy. Here’s what it means for the two Boise area restaurants.

Citing financial woes because of the coronavirus, restaurant operator Sizzler USA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday.

But you’ll still be able to enjoy Sizzler steak, seafood and salad in the Boise area.

The bankruptcy does not affect Sizzler locations at 3380 N. Eagle Road in Meridian and at 501 Caldwell Blvd. in Nampa, according to local co-owner Gretchen Anderson. Both Treasure Valley restaurants remain open for dine-in service, takeout and delivery. The Meridian store also offers outdoor seating.

“Our guests might assume that we’re closing, and we’re not,” said Anderson, who owns the restaurants with her husband, Buster Minshew.

Minshew and Anderson are Sizzler licensees, not franchisees. The bankruptcy filing is expected to potentially affect only 14 company-owned restaurants, not franchised and licensed locations.

“The 62-year-old brand will reorganize to address the catastrophic business impacts of COVID-19,” Anderson wrote in a press release. “The restructuring process, filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Northern District of California, will give the chain ‘time to renegotiate leases with landlords in order to effectively operate its 14 company-owned restaurants,’ Sizzler USA said.”

Sizzler in Meridian was opened in 2006. Sizzler in Nampa has been there since 1977. In 2019, after more than 30 years of business, Sizzler closed at 459 N. Cole Road across from Boise Towne Square mall.

Headquartered in Mission Viejo, California, the Sizzler chain operates dozens of restaurants in several Western states, plus one in Florida. In Idaho, there also are locations in Twin Falls and Pocatello.

This story was originally published September 22, 2020 at 11:06 AM.