A rundown Sizzler at Long Beach and Del Amo boulevards has been transformed from a chain steakhouse to a diner named after the matriarch of the family that has owned the business for 50 years.<\/p>\n
After undergoing a complete makeover, the new North Long Beach restaurant opened as Bebe\u2019s Diner on Jan. 5, replacing the Sizzler that sat vacant since closing a few months after the start of the pandemic in 2020.<\/p>\n
The new eatery features traditional Southern breakfast dishes like pancakes, eggs and ham and grits, alongside Mexican favorites such as huevos rancheros smothered with chili con carne.<\/p>\n
The restaurant is being overseen by Jeff Higgins, who turned over ownership to his daughter, Grace Higgins.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy wife and I and my daughter had wanted to do something like this for a long time,\u201d Jeff said. \u201cWe had never done breakfast before and wanted a retro modern diner, so we jumped at the opportunity as it came. It\u2019s our way of giving back to the neighborhood who has been so loyal to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The lease for the building has been in the family for five decades. Jeff’s father, Ron, first leased the location in 1972. He opened a Sizzler franchise, a popular restaurant in the 1970s and 1980s after becoming one of the earliest pioneers of the \u201call-you-can-eat\u201d salad bar.<\/p>\n
The company, however, fell on hard times, and the parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2020.<\/p>\n
Councilmember Al Austin, who represents the North Long Beach area where the restaurant is located, said he was \u201celated\u201d to see this area alive and upbeat.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very much a refreshing change, a welcomed and necessary addition to our community,\u201d Austin said.<\/p>\n
The new diner combines contemporary furnishings with some of the feel of a 1950s classic diner, with booths and sage green stools lining a counter eating area.<\/p>\n
On the wall is a picture of Bebe herself\u2014Jeff’s grandmother, Bea \u201cBebe\u201d Ryan, who died at 96 in 2011.<\/p>\n
The Higgins family hired Chef Nick Dieugeno to take the lead in creating a menu with recipes that resonated with some of the foods they grew up eating.<\/p>\n
Upon having his first child, Dieugeno moved back to his hometown of Long Beach following his work as a cook for Chef Ori Menashe\u2019s Middle Eastern restaurant Bavel in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter having been in fine dining, it was always my intention to return to classic American comfort but with more updated and trendy ingredients,\u201d Dieugeno said.<\/p>\n
Distinct from other diners, Dieugeno said that all of Bebe\u2019s sauces will be made in-house, <\/b>from scratch and with simple ingredients. <\/b>Dieugeno hopes to infuse Bebe\u2019s food with the love the owners and himself have for their city.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have secret recipes, but what we have is freshly made, all-American food with the most important ingredient: love and attention,\u201d Dieugeno said.<\/p>\n
Bebe’s Diner’s current hours are breakfast from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Sunday. By the end of January the restaurant will be serving breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.<\/p>\n
Bebe’<\/i>s Diner is located at <\/i>15 W<\/i>.<\/i><\/b> Del Amo Blvd<\/i>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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