Buffets' Pandemic Pivot: From Germ Magnets to Social Vibes

0:00It's April 20th, you're listening to Durham News today, AI-powered local news. The COVID pandemic flipped the script on self-serve buffet, turning them from crowd pleasers into germ magnets. Folks ditched the shared spoons and tongs amid masks and hand sanitizer, worried about bacteria from unwashed hands, coughs or sneezes spreading through the line. That fear hit hard, with many spots shutting down or switching to server-assisted styles that stuck around after lockdowns. Big chains took the biggest L-Buffet LLC, owning spots like Old Country Buffet, hometown Buffet, Ryan's and Furs, filed Chapter 11 with about 90 locations pre-pandemic but nearly all closed for good. Sublantation and sweet tomatoes lost all 97 spots in 2020 bankruptcy, while tons of independent Chinese buffets downsized from, rising costs and labor woes. Love scares weren't the only killer economics piled on. In Vegas, buffets once lured gambors with cheap eats when gaming rolled revenue, but now

1:04high-end dining dominates, leaving the strip with just 7. By summers and after MGM grants shuts, Casino shifted from 35 buffets back in the 80s to slim pickings today, fast forward and buffets are bouncing back. Yelp searches for all you can eat jumped 252%, led by Asian flavors as people crave social, interactive vibes at fair, prices, staffing shortages nudged operators toward self-serve efficiency without skimping service, inflation-squeezing wallets making unlimited deals a smart play, so expect more buffets evolving with fresh twists to keep the plates piling high.