Slater’s 50/50 is gone after more than a decade as a cornerstone at Liberty Station, but its spirit remains via The Mixer, which taken its place.
The Mixer offers equally extravagant burgers, but at lower prices, while boasting a more diverse menu.
Ryan Rappa, a 10-year veteran of the company, is a manager at The Mixer. He was carried over from Slater’s 50/50, along with most of the former restaurant’s staff, in 2025 when the restaurant changed its name and menu.
“We’re separate from Slater’s 50/50,” Rappa explains, mentioning owners Rhyse and Monica Davis, who bought the location in 2020 before rebranding the company in 2025. “They wanted to do their own thing, open it up to a brunch menu and other sandwiches. It’s along the same vibe, but we’re our own identity.”
Rhyse Davis says, “After 14 years, we needed to change to grow.”
“Everything had gone up in pricing,” he adds. “There was a reluctance to change the brand. We had to evolve.”
The Mixer’s liquor license is still registered under the business name “Slater’s 50/50,” owned by R&D Business Holdings LLC. Originally issued on January 13, 2020, it will expire at the end of this year.
“It’s in the process of transferring. We submitted the paperwork just last week,” Rhyse Davis says. “We had to wait for a former business partner to be removed from the license before doing the transfer.”
Slater’s 50/50 brought its signature 50% beef, 50% bacon burgers to San Diego in 2011.
Liberty Station has thrived, but Slater’s 50/50 faltered. Scott Slater sold the chain to Elite Restaurant Group in 2016. Since then, the business has scaled back and spread out. The Huntington Beach, San Marcos, and now San Diego locations have all closed, leaving Torrance as the final foothold in Southern California.
The Mixer is unrestrained by 50/50’s chain style, which Rappa says “gives us more control over our own menu based on guest feedback. We have a lot more freedom as a mom-and-pop shop.”
Free from corporate oversight, The Mixer has adjusted to modern, local tastes. The 50/50 beef-bacon mix patties that Slater’s was famous for have fallen out of favor. Rappa reports that “the bacon fad was popular in 2016. Now, everyone is trying to be healthier.”
The bacon’s not completely gone. The Mixer’s and Slater’s fresh menus share similarities in style and structure, evident in the mutual love of bacon and funny burger names. The clearest parallel is 50/50’s signature “Mac Daddy Burger” becoming the “Call Me Daddy Burger” at The Mixer, falling from $19 to $13.50.
“We didn’t want those crazy prices attached to us anymore,” explains Rappa. “The Davis’ main thing is bringing the prices down. With the company, it was really hard to change them to what we wanted. Now, burger prices are around $12. We even have a $7 burger during happy hour.”
“Our speed in the kitchen has drastically changed,” adds Rappa. “Slater’s 50/50’s would reach 50 minutes for a burger. Now, appetizers are coming out in less than 10 minutes; burgers in less than 15.”
The Mixer is also positioning itself as a more integral part of the community.
“People want to be in and out. We’ve gotten a lot more regulars,” Rappa says. “A lot of Liberty Station workers would avoid Slater’s 50/50 because of the wait times and greasy food. Now, we’re getting people coming in from across the street. It’s nice to feel like we’re building more of a community than we were able to with Slater’s.”
Despite the changes, the echoes of Slater’s 50/50 are hard to miss — the most obvious being the location itself. The Mixer has added a neon flare to 50/50’s typical sports bar decor and signature wall of taps, which still boasts many local brews along with new wines, ciders, and kombuchas.
Look at The Mixer as a remix of a Liberty Station staple.
“It’s a mix of all the people that work here, the best of us. We wanted to bring that to the community,” says Rhyse Davis. “Our food represents what we love. We want to share that with the people around us.”
There are promising community events too. The restaurant now hosts mixology classes, speed dating, and sports watch parties.
“We want to give people a comfortable place to have an affordable burger and watch their favorite sports – to enjoy the spot as much as we do, to see what we see,” says Rappa. “I want to know my regulars’ names and for them to know mine, to feel that community. That’s our goal.”
