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Dining
MARCH 2016
The Myers’ – a Love Story, a Success Story. . . with Plenty of Sizzle
By Diane Simones The moment I met this winsome couple, I knew I was in for an
adventure. Sally invited me out to see the ‘new generation’ Sizzler restaurant in Hemet. Newly constructed, the building replaced the existing Sizzler on the east end of Florida Avenue. Located on Myers Road, the new location is on the far west side, offering access to the newest members of the community moving into Hemet, Win- chester and Menifee. Sally welcomed me in and introduced
me to her husband of 39 years, Gary. As we chatted I could see the love and respect that the couple had for each other and the passion that they have for the restaurant business. The Hemet restaurant is one of 22 Sizzler franchises owned by the Myers’ that span California from San Diego to Sacramento. But back to Gary and Sally! The
story is too exciting to miss. Yes, they were high school sweethearts. During their college years, Gary proposed three times and finally won her hand when he proposed in front of her cheerleading team at the end of her senior year at Pepperdine. What could she say, but YES! This is a mar- riage made in heaven.
Sally & Gary Myers, owners of Sizzler Restaurants, in front of the new Hemet store. Gary and Sally opened their first Sizzler franchise in Temecula in
1983. At that time Gary was working for Williams’ company while open- ing the new restaurant in Temecula. Hiring was a challenge since the employment pool was small in a town of only 4,000. “We went through 16 cooks in less than 2 weeks,” added Gary. “The crowd was out the door every day and the employees could not keep up so I would drive from Fullerton after my shift ended at my father-in-law’s Sizzler to Temec- ula every night to help out there. Most of the time I spent the night wash- ing dishes,” he laughed. Would you say the man is hard working? Now it was time to take a tour of the new facility. The building is
colorful and inviting, proudly displaying the American Flag which is a theme that continues throughout the restaurant. Once inside, the col- orful décor was tastefully done with warm wood blinds, beautiful bold photography accented by varied styles of lighting and unique vases of exotic floral arrangements. “We want our customers to see themselves in this restaurant,” said
Gary put himself through school by working for the Market Basket grocery chain.
So after college and after finally marrying the girl of his dreams, he was offered a posi- tion with his father-in-law, Jack Williams, as a restaurant manager in William’s company in 1978. Williams was a successful Sizzler franchisee with 5 stores at the time. Sally joined her father’s Sizzler Company shortly after her and Gary married to develop the hospitality and marketing department and supported the openings of 30 of her father’s 36 Sizzler restaurants. After Williams retired from Sizzler, Sally’s parents, Jack and Linda Williams founded the popular Richie’s Real American Diner in Temecula and Murrieta 25 years ago. And, years later, Gary and Sally’s story includes 3 children, grandchildren, 1,400 employees at 24 restaurants (22 Sizzlers, 2 Richie’s Diners in Rancho Cucamonga and Palm Desert and joint venture partners of Texas Roadhouse in Menifee and Corona) and an enthusiasm for the future that is as electric as it is inspiring.
Gary. “There are photos of our family, children and grandchildren, people in the community, local sights and fresh food,” added Sally. “We want this to be a Disney experience, not a carnival,” added Gary. “The food, the ambiance, the service all have to be consistently the best quality possible for our customers.” “At all of our locations, we serve only Certified Angus Beef® Brand steaks,” added Sally. “It is a
non-profit organization that inspects beef and grades it based on 10 exact scientific standards to determine not only the quality and consistency already graded by the USDA but also for the abundant marbling, tenderness and natural juiciness.” Certified Angus Beef® Brand is the best Angus brand available. It is a cut above USDA Prime, Choice and Select. Less than 1.5% of beef achieves the high standards of Certified Angus Beef® Brand Prime.
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