EXHIBIT 99.1
     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
     AUGUST 16, 1999

          PHILLIP D. MATTHEWS TO BE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AT SIZZLER
          STEVEN R. SELCER NAMED NEW SIZZLER CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
            MICHAEL B. GREEN ELECTED GENERAL COUNSEL AND SECRETARY
         RYAN S. TONDRO HEADS NEW ACQUISITIONS, DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

LOS ANGELES, CA, August 16, 1999 -- Sizzler International (NYSE: SZ) today
announced that current Director Phillip D. Matthews will assume the position of
Chairman of the Board at this year's shareholders' meeting. As previously
announced, James A. Collins, Sizzler's current Chairman, will become Chairman
Emeritus.

Matthews has been a Director of the Company since 1997. He has been Lead
Director and Chairman of the Executive Committee of Wolverine World Wide, Inc.
since 1996, and Chairman of the Board of Wolverine World Wide, Inc. from 1993
through 1996. He is a Director of both Washington Mutual, Inc. and Wolverine
World Wide, Inc.

Sizzler also announced the appointment of leading restaurant executive Steven R.
Selcer as Chief Financial Officer, and the appointment of Michael B. Green as
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary.

Ryan S. Tondro, the Company's former CFO has been appointed Vice President of
Acquisitions and Development with the additional responsibility of strategic
planning.

President and Chief Executive Officer Chuck Boppell said, "This represents a
major strengthening of our management team with the best of both worlds. We can
continue to benefit from Ryan's five years of experience with Sizzler by
focusing his talents in this critical new area. At the same time, we are gaining
broad additional capabilities from Steve Selcer who brings 13 years of
restaurant system experience in both operations and finance. Steve's success at
Grand American Fare Restaurants, Islands Restaurants and, most recently, La
Salsa makes him a terrific resource as we position the company on a new growth
path. Mickey's well deserved appointment to General Counsel and Secretary and
the addition of Diane M. Hardesty as Vice President of Human Resources in April
solidifies the management team."

Selcer was Chief Operating Officer of La Salsa prior to its sale last month. He
also served as Chief Financial Officer at Islands Restaurants and Grand American
Fare Restaurants after leaving Deloite & Touche in 1986. He graduated with
Undergraduate and Masters Degrees from the University of Southern California.

Tondro served as Vice President - Controller throughout Sizzler's highly
successful bankruptcy and has been instrumental in repositioning and upgrading
the company's financial systems. Prior


to joining Sizzler, he was Vice President, Finance and Controller of Washington
Inventory Service, a division of Huffy Corporation and Vice President,
Controller of Thrifty Drug Stores after leaving Arthur Andersen in 1978.

Previously, Green served as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of the
Company's U.S. subsidiary corporations. Prior to joining Sizzler, Green was
Counsel for Atlantic Richfield Company, was in private practice in Washington D.
C., served as a Trial Attorney in the Antitrust Division of the United States
Department of Justice, and Law Clerk to John W. Lord, Jr., Chief Judge of the
United States District Court located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Green
received his B.A. degree from Brooklyn College of the City University of New
York and J.D. degree from New York University School of Law.

     Sizzler International, Inc. operates, franchises or joint ventures 347
     Sizzler restaurants worldwide and 101 KFC restaurants in Queensland,
     Australia.