Slater’s 50/50, the high-volume casual chain featuring beef-and-bacon blended burgers, has been sold for an undisclosed amount to another restaurant operation.
Press reports say the buyer was Elite Restaurant Group, but it was not clear if that ERG is a United Kingdom pub operator using that name; a casual dining operation based in Virginia; or an independent restaurant in Nevada.
The sale came to light when media in Slater’s home market of southern California queried why the six-unit chain had filed a notice in compliance with state law that its jobs would be eliminated. The inquiries revealed that Scott Slater had decided to sell the operation and step down as president, citing the need for addition capital to keep his brainchild expanding.
The news reports suggested that Slater’s had encounter considerable headwinds in the industry’s sales and traffic slowdown this year. One employee was quoted as saying the public was losing its interest in the indulgence of a Slater’s burger, 50% of which is ground beef and the remainder, ground bacon. The mix yields a burger that is described as juicy and flavorful.
Slater's drew national attention for its high volumes, with stores taking in $4.5 million to $6 million annually.
It had launched a second concept, S&M, named after a Rihanna song but supposedly standing for sausage and meat. The prototype closed in November.
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