The Future of Buffets, Salad Bars, and Self Serve?

storewanderer
Posts: 14379
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: The Future of Buffets, Salad Bars, and Self Serve?

Post by storewanderer »

Brian Lutz wrote: January 16th, 2021, 7:40 pm they had a container of clean spatulas out at the front of the pizza line, with the intent that each person would take one, use it for their trip through the line, and then place it in a container at the end for washing.. Similarly on the salad bar there was a container of tongs for one-time use. Some items (such as the pasta) still had serving spoons in them.
This is an interesting idea. As with everything there are pros and cons.

For me personally I would like having my own clean spatula or tong to touch and then not worry about who else has touched them.

I am not sure what I think of it though if someone either gets their hands full and coordination becomes a bit confused or is sloppy and somehow the handle of that spatula/tong gets in contact with the food sitting on the tray it could still contaminate the whole thing. Or as they are walking along if that spatula or tong somehow touches the serving station or edge of it near the waist as you walk along... or worse yet if they sneeze and raise the thing up toward their nose (natural motion to move hand toward nose when sneezing)...

With the pizza it seems like they could pre-plate the slices (some buffets in the past did this with things like cake or pie slices- pre plate and you grab the plate from the self serve area) but maybe they don't have space for that then they'd have a ton of plates to deal with.

I have yet to see any grocers re-open things like olive bars, salad bars, etc. Some self serve bakeries are open again with loose products out on trays with tissue paper/bags.
veteran+
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor
Posts: 2234
Joined: January 3rd, 2015, 7:53 am
Has thanked: 1204 times
Been thanked: 72 times
Status: Offline

Re: The Future of Buffets, Salad Bars, and Self Serve?

Post by veteran+ »

Man oh man...........talking about playing Russian Roulette with the proclivities of human behavior.........WOW!

I commend and acknowledge the restauranteurs for their ideas but that is not the problem.

Pre COVID.................does anyone remember some of the things that people do at buffets? Especially when they think no one is looking? How about when ill supervised children are at it?

Hysterical...................LOL...........................I'll pass, thank you very much.
storewanderer
Posts: 14379
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: The Future of Buffets, Salad Bars, and Self Serve?

Post by storewanderer »

veteran+ wrote: January 17th, 2021, 7:03 am Man oh man...........talking about playing Russian Roulette with the proclivities of human behavior.........WOW!

I commend and acknowledge the restauranteurs for their ideas but that is not the problem.

Pre COVID.................does anyone remember some of the things that people do at buffets? Especially when they think no one is looking? How about when ill supervised children are at it?

Hysterical...................LOL...........................I'll pass, thank you very much.
I think prepackaged pre-portioned items are the future. It will be more labor to do this. They need to get the portion sizes right- 4oz, etc. If someone wants 12oz they can take 3 4oz containers. But if someone only wants 4oz and there are only 12oz containers, you lose that sale. Questionable how it will impact sales, the stores will need to figure out how to get the sales back and part of that is providing something at least close to the portion flexibility previously offered by the self serve dispensing.

I keep seeing that "service" hot bar at Whole Foods when I go in. Nobody is purchasing from it. The Raising Canes in the parking lot steadily has 30 cars lined up for its drive through which moves quickly but it has so many cars so you will be there a while (inside is open and deserted... you will get your order in 2-3 minutes if you go inside... they are very efficient). I think Whole Foods could make more money serving bland but steaming hot chicken strips with only one sauce option, lukewarm buttered bread, and cheap often undercooked crinkle fries out of this hot bin. It is only open during meal periods and it has only a few trays of food and a couple employees who are now SITTING there in the middle of the steamtable islands waiting for customers to show up. Perhaps Whole Foods needs to develop a chicken strip with some flavor and go offer samples to all of the cars waiting for Raising Canes, I am sure they could pick a few customers off. From a distance the customer can't see any hot food at Whole Foods even when this area is open, and though they have a lot of signs posted showing what is being offered, at first glance it is not clear they are even serving food there. The number of "options" for the salad bar has been cut significantly and it seems like the whole thing is just a very half hearted effort.
BillyGr
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1579
Joined: October 5th, 2010, 7:33 pm
Been thanked: 58 times
Status: Offline

Re: The Future of Buffets, Salad Bars, and Self Serve?

Post by BillyGr »

storewanderer wrote: January 16th, 2021, 11:07 pm I have yet to see any grocers re-open things like olive bars, salad bars, etc. Some self serve bakeries are open again with loose products out on trays with tissue paper/bags.
One of the stores locally did start doing the olive bar again - they leave a box of gloves for customers to take and use while dipping out what they choose and then discard. Other than that, it looked the same as before.
Although I think the same store still had the bakery items boxed up (where it used to be loose donuts/bagels etc. before).

I have seen loose baked items in at least a couple convenience stores, though.

Also, one of our local Chinese buffet restaurants had their open sign a week ago Thursday (which is the first time I saw that, though I often pass by at times they wouldn't be open anyhow, though they had been closed even the times I did go by when they should have been open prior to that).

Didn't stop, so no idea how/what they are doing, but then again other areas have had buffets running for several months, so I suppose it's a possibility.
storewanderer
Posts: 14379
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: The Future of Buffets, Salad Bars, and Self Serve?

Post by storewanderer »

One thing I have seen return to some Save Mart Stores in bulk coffee. I don't know of anyone else offering that.

Bulk Coffee usually is in a "drop down" bin where it comes out the bottom of the bin into the bag (no scoop, etc.). Then you cook it in hot water I guess which I think would kill germs?

But I have not seen other chains bring back their bulk coffee offer at this time (the other chains that still have bulk coffee, that is; it is long gone from Safeway and most Kroger divisions outside the Pacific Northwest).
cjd
Assistant Store Manager
Assistant Store Manager
Posts: 624
Joined: August 18th, 2018, 6:54 am
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 6 times
Status: Offline

Re: The Future of Buffets, Salad Bars, and Self Serve?

Post by cjd »

I think a full return of buffets and self service food will be in large part to whether or not masks and social distancing are permanent or not. At this point it's hard to say what will happen. There is also a big discrepancy between how even national businesses are running from state to state. Some states don't allow any indoor dining and in some cases even outdoor, while others are at full capacity. If full indoor capacity continues to only happen in some areas then buffets and self service will certainly never be widespread again.
Bagels
Assistant Store Manager
Assistant Store Manager
Posts: 823
Joined: August 20th, 2018, 11:54 pm
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 12 times
Status: Offline

Re: The Future of Buffets, Salad Bars, and Self Serve?

Post by Bagels »

When I was in Utah, the beloved Chuck-A-Rama chain buffet had re-opened. Servers brought plates and utensils to the table, and you were required to wear a mask and sanitize your hands before scooping out your grub. However, they were not enforcing this — most people were not wearing a mask, and few people sanitized their hands. We choose not t to eat there. I hear similar buffets have opened up in Florida and elsewhere.

Grocery stores in Utah also allowed self-service, with similar restrictions (and similar results).
storewanderer
Posts: 14379
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: The Future of Buffets, Salad Bars, and Self Serve?

Post by storewanderer »

Bagels wrote: January 18th, 2021, 9:03 pm When I was in Utah, the beloved Chuck-A-Rama chain buffet had re-opened. Servers brought plates and utensils to the table, and you were required to wear a mask and sanitize your hands before scooping out your grub. However, they were not enforcing this — most people were not wearing a mask, and few people sanitized their hands. We choose not t to eat there. I hear similar buffets have opened up in Florida and elsewhere.

Grocery stores in Utah also allowed self-service, with similar restrictions (and similar results).
I think it is going to depend on the area too. Once local restrictions lift, I think people in some areas will be more cautious than in other areas and more or less comfortable with these self service things.

Ironically in the densely populated areas with high volume locations and high labor costs where these self serve offerings make the most business sense, I expect those will be the areas where it will take the most time for people to become comfortable with the idea of using these self serve offerings again.

Retailers are going to need to make some decisions. And part of the bigger question here is how long do you keep a fixture present that is not being used? I am seeing idle previously self serve food bar, salad bar, moochi bar, underutilized bakery cases, in many stores. At some point you cannot keep this equipment idle forever and need to make some decisions. Be it converting to full service, prepackaged, or just removing the equipment and putting more stuff in the space that will actually sell, we are approaching a year of these fixtures being not used, and this is not sustainable.
cjd
Assistant Store Manager
Assistant Store Manager
Posts: 624
Joined: August 18th, 2018, 6:54 am
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 6 times
Status: Offline

Re: The Future of Buffets, Salad Bars, and Self Serve?

Post by cjd »

There are 3 buffets in my area. A Golden Corral, a Chinese, and another independent country style buffet.

The Golden Corral for a while was offering carry out or table service with a small selection of meals from a menu. They also gave away many meals because the food would otherwise have gone to waste when they were closed. I think they are now back to buffet service but the utensils are supposed to be changed out every so many minutes.

The Chinese buffet reopened and from what I heard you have to wear a mask at the buffet and also sanitize your hands and wear disposable gloves while getting your food.

The other buffet was supposedly not going to reopen from their Facebook page but since has reopened. Not sure what they are doing.

All of these locations seem pretty busy, but likely not as much as other places I see. I used to go to Golden Corral pretty often when my grandmother was alive and would come to visit as that was her favorite place. I also used to go there a lot with friends, but gradually that stopped. It's also kind of out of the way for us to go to. The Chinese I like to go to once a year or so but again don't go to as often as I used to.

At this point I wouldn't have any issue going to any of these buffets, as I've already had Covid. Therefore I'm not afraid of it myself. I would probably make sure to sanitize my hands after getting back to the table though. Otherwise I wouldn't have any issue with it.

As for the self serve in supermarkets, not sure what's going on with that here right now. Publix offers self serve soups and I think a salad bar in some locations. Winn Dixie also has a wing bar and in some of their newer locations, salad bars.

I never was a big fan of wing bars because it seemed to add too much uncertainty, when an employee could simply fill the bucket with wings from the hot case. With a wing bar not only is there potential for contamination but the wings often sit out for hours and who knows when they were cooked or if they've been at the proper temperature the whole time. Hot cases just seem safer and more likely to be supervised better.
storewanderer
Posts: 14379
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: The Future of Buffets, Salad Bars, and Self Serve?

Post by storewanderer »

The other thing that continues on as self serve is the coffee/soda at convenience stores. Just like before. A number of those machines are touchless though (cup against lever for ice, cup against lever to dispense beverage) but many do have a button to push to dispense product.

In some places in California there is an odd local regulation since April or May, that requires the cashier of the store to give you the cup, lid, and straw... this is great... right after they handle cash they give you all these things then you go over and fill them up. I get that having these items self serve and the customers "touching" them may not be great but having the cashier put the loose lid down on the counter as I am dealing with the payment machine (that counter isn't cleaned between customers) is not great.

One particular location I have visited multiple times with that local regulation put the cups back at the drink machines for the customer to take (I guess it was too hard giving the customer a choice between a plastic or a foam cup and having all those behind the register, also there was an issue giving the cup to the customer through the plastic shield at the register) but then you still have to get the lid and straw from the cashier. I really don't like that, as it exposes the drink to open air while you are walking around in the location. I'd rather cap the drink ASAP.
Post Reply