Back from the Dead: All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Restaurants

Selection of food that is good for the health and skin, rustic wood background

hree years ago . . . when we were venturing out in public in hazmat suits . . . it seemed like all-you-can-eat buffets might be gone for good. But now, they’re coming back from the dead.

A company that tracks restaurants says that this spring, visits to three leading buffets . . . Golden Corral, Cicis, and Pizza Ranch . . . were up 125% from 2021. That’s a faster rate of growth than other types of restaurants.

Part of the reason is the easing of the pandemic. Some people are no longer concerned about people touching and breathing over the same food that they’ll be eating . . . not to mention using the same serving utensils.

But there’s more to it than that. There’s also the COST. Higher-end restaurants are raising prices due to inflation. So people are going to buffets looking for VALUE.

And this isn’t JUST a “return to normal.” Golden Corral’s sales grew 14% last year from pre-pandemic levels.

(CNN)