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

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

Post by pseudo3d »

veteran+ wrote: March 5th, 2023, 7:04 am
arizonaguy wrote: March 4th, 2023, 8:30 pm
Brian Lutz wrote: March 3rd, 2023, 12:43 pm One thing that seems a little unusual is that when you walk in you just proceed straight to the salad bar to serve yourself, and then when you sit down at a table someone comes around to take your payment at the table on a card reader equipped tablet (there is no option to pay in cash.) I'm not sure if this is how Sweet Tomatoes operated, but it does seem to preclude the possibility of offering take-out options, making it a strictly dine-in operation. I know some of the buffet chains experimented with takeout options before COVID largely shut them down, usually by way of providing a takeout container that you can fill up at the same price as the regular buffet, but I believe Old Country Buffet also tried offering a pay by weight option as well. Some Mongolian Grill places like HuHot still do the single container version of this, but Chuck-A-Rama appears to be a strictly dine-in operation as well.
Sweet Tomatoes operated in a way where you proceeded straight to the salad bar and then there was a cashier at the far end of the salad bar (before you reached the seating area).

Of all of the chains that closed during COVID it is the chain I missed the most. I felt that they actually were a good value for what you got and I felt that their "hot" options such as pizza / pasta were actually decent quality for the price.

I haven't been to many buffets in the post COVID era but I did go to a buffet at a place called Mountain Mike's pizza (decent salad bar, actually fairly decent pizza) where the price for the buffet was the same dine in or to go but if it was to go they simply gave you a to go container.
Is Sweet Tomatoes the same company as Soup Plantation?

I really miss SP!
Yes, I believe they used the two names in different markets.
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Re: The Future of Buffets, Salad Bars, and Self Serve?

Post by bryceleinan »

storewanderer wrote: March 4th, 2023, 7:14 pm
bryceleinan wrote: March 4th, 2023, 6:06 pm My mom and I had to attend to some family stuff over in Salt Lake in the last couple of weeks, and we went to the Chuck-a-Ramas in Ogden (with my nephew) and in Salt Lake (thanks to a canceled flight home.) We were both shocked at how clean both restaurants were, and at how busy they were. I know some people knock CAR, however, I know my family enjoys going there, and it's a lot better than not-Golden Corral.
I thought Chuck-a-Rama isn't an all you can eat buffet but just a self serve restaurant?

I always wondered how that worked.

My guess is Chuck-a-Rama probably owns their locations and has maintained them properly over the years. So by just running their business they have been able to survive and remain relevant.

A lot of restaurants are run by absentee owners for "investment purposes" and debt financed and those don't seem to work out so well.
Chuck-a-Rama is a buffet, reminds me of JJ North's in how they operate.
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Re: The Future of Buffets, Salad Bars, and Self Serve?

Post by BillyGr »

bryceleinan wrote: March 5th, 2023, 12:25 pm
storewanderer wrote: March 4th, 2023, 7:14 pm I thought Chuck-a-Rama isn't an all you can eat buffet but just a self serve restaurant?

I always wondered how that worked.

My guess is Chuck-a-Rama probably owns their locations and has maintained them properly over the years. So by just running their business they have been able to survive and remain relevant.

A lot of restaurants are run by absentee owners for "investment purposes" and debt financed and those don't seem to work out so well.
Chuck-a-Rama is a buffet, reminds me of JJ North's in how they operate.
The only thing I could think of that would be somewhat different is the older style cafeteria setup.
With that, pricing was done by the portion (which was either dipped by staff as ordered, or in some cases pre-portioned and set out for customers to grab a plate/dish etc.) but it was more like the buffet setting in that people could get any quantity of portions of whatever they wanted, unlike most restaurants that have a set format (such as a main item with potato, vegetable sides).

There were also no fixed combinations, so people could choose their favorite items to have together, not be tied to what the menu offered.

Those, however, seem to have faded away in most places, even before there were issues of staff and such.
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Re: The Future of Buffets, Salad Bars, and Self Serve?

Post by storewanderer »

BillyGr wrote: March 5th, 2023, 1:55 pm
bryceleinan wrote: March 5th, 2023, 12:25 pm
storewanderer wrote: March 4th, 2023, 7:14 pm I thought Chuck-a-Rama isn't an all you can eat buffet but just a self serve restaurant?

I always wondered how that worked.

My guess is Chuck-a-Rama probably owns their locations and has maintained them properly over the years. So by just running their business they have been able to survive and remain relevant.

A lot of restaurants are run by absentee owners for "investment purposes" and debt financed and those don't seem to work out so well.
Chuck-a-Rama is a buffet, reminds me of JJ North's in how they operate.
The only thing I could think of that would be somewhat different is the older style cafeteria setup.
With that, pricing was done by the portion (which was either dipped by staff as ordered, or in some cases pre-portioned and set out for customers to grab a plate/dish etc.) but it was more like the buffet setting in that people could get any quantity of portions of whatever they wanted, unlike most restaurants that have a set format (such as a main item with potato, vegetable sides).

There were also no fixed combinations, so people could choose their favorite items to have together, not be tied to what the menu offered.

Those, however, seem to have faded away in most places, even before there were issues of staff and such.
Can't believe how long ago this was.
https://www.deseret.com/2004/4/30/19826 ... rs-apology

Not really clear what the policy is.
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