Discussion » Questions » Business » COVID19 fallout has seen to the demise of salad bars and buffets.
Randy D

COVID19 fallout has seen to the demise of salad bars and buffets.


  For those restaurants, hotels, convention centers, cafes, cafeterias, casinos, cruise ships, schools, colleges, universities, etc. that previously offered self-service salad bars and buffets either as their only, their primary, their secondary, or a portion of their business models, what do you envision their future layouts might look like when reopening takes place?
  (For those that do not shutter themselves permanently, that is.)
~

Posted - May 12, 2020
Tags : None

Responses


  • 7939
    Are you sure they'll even close? I suspect they'll stay open. Maybe there will be modifications, like single-use serving spoons or sanitizer as you go up. Perhaps longer sneeze guards. Or, they may have a server dishing up the food. 
      May 13, 2020 2:36 AM MDT
    3

  • 53526

      Locally, one major chain restaurant (established 1973 and 97 locations) has announced bankruptcy, has shut its doors permanently and will not attempt to reopen once restrictions are lifted. Others will reconfigure salad bars to having employees serve customers from the opposite side of counters as opposed to customers helping themselves. Longer or bigger sneeze guards don’t address the fact that each customer is handling serving spoons, ladles, tongs, etc. without the utensils being cleaned each time. Some places are removing salad bars completely. Lastly, buffet-style places are the biggest challenge, because their entire concept is threatened. 
    ~
      May 13, 2020 6:45 AM MDT
    2

  • 1893
    No more self serve anything; soda, condiments, salad bars etc. will be the 1st big change

    Layout there is a big disconnect here among the powers that be, do expect cough shields etc

    Expect changes to heating and AC plants - Better filtering of the air et

    Expect you will have a reservation and you will be assigned a time to show up, pickup take away, etc.  Mess times be tightly monitored

    Whatever else is anybodies guess
      May 14, 2020 8:05 AM MDT
    1

  • 2327
    Good. I hope they all close permanently. 


    Here are some reasons why I really dislike buffets and salad bars:
    Most importantly;
    1. Too many people are touching the tongs. It's a massive germ orgy. 
    2. Cross-contamination of food. From people using the same tong for several pans and/or from food spillages. 
    3. The food is often not at the proper temperature. 
    Less importantly;
    4. I prefer table service. Let me relax. I'd rather have someone serve me than serve myself. 
    5. A lot of customers who use them are greedy, they leave nothing, or next-to nothing for the next people.
    6. The food from salad bars and buffets often looks bad. Customers constantly beating the crap out of it, stabbing at it with the tongs.

    Salad bar closures. This may be the only positive consequence, or one of the very few positives to come from COVID-19. 
      May 14, 2020 4:54 PM MDT
    2

  • 23659
    I guess I hadn't thought about it. There is a buffet-style restaurant in my area that I've always liked.

    Maybe such restaurants could provide some type of gloves, or even a paper towel, for each customer -- so every time the utensils are used, the utensils are touched by someone only once who is wearing a new glove / paper towel. I'm sure someone smarter than I will think of a reason why that that wouldn't work.
    :)
      May 14, 2020 5:04 PM MDT
    2

  • 53526

      Some people will touch other surfaces and/or parts of their bodies, their faces even with the gloves on.
      As each gloved hand makes contact with a utensil, whatever germs are on that glove get transferred from one utensil to the next.
      Some people wont use the gloves that are provided.
      

    ~
      May 14, 2020 5:39 PM MDT
    1

  • 23659
    Yup, you're right -  and at least one of your list of good points hit me after I posted -- while wearing the gloves, a person could also be touching anything and everything.

    Yeah, and many would not use the provided gloves because that interferes with their constitutional rights. (Sorry- - I'm in a piss-poor mood.)

    EDIT: And I'm sorry to hear about that chain of restaurants in your local area. :(


    This post was edited by WelbyQuentin at May 14, 2020 5:56 PM MDT
      May 14, 2020 5:49 PM MDT
    1

  • 53526

      I don't see how that's any indication of a piss-poor mood, but that's fine.

    I've long had a very jaded view of how my fellow customers act in any public eating venue, but buffets are tops on the list.  They might as well as them to The People of Wal-Mart photos and videos.  I forgot to add to my list above those people who eat at the serving counters.  I can't stand it when people eat directly where food is laid out, for instance, at the Thanksgiving table.  Food that is prepared and placed for serving should ALWAYS be separate from where the actual eating goes on, even if it's only a foot or two away.  Plopping a plate down next to the mashed potatoes or the tortillas or the stacks of pancakes and shoving your face into it is no different than putting a trough in the dining room and calling the pigs.  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

      May 14, 2020 5:55 PM MDT
    1

  • 23659
    I'm glad I didn't come across as nasty. I've been hypersensitive in some ways with myself, in general, the last month or so, in being overly concerned about not being polite/ nice to others. Afraid to anger others because I truly don't want to ever purposely do that. 

    So, you are referring to if you're with family and friends at a private house / get-together and eating a big meal? You prefer to have the food set away from the actual table where the eating occurs. I get your point. Hadn't quite thought of it that way but I get it.
      May 14, 2020 6:04 PM MDT
    1

  • 53526

      Both in restaurants and in private homes, it skeeves me out when people eat on or directly over the serving areas.

    ~ 
      May 14, 2020 6:06 PM MDT
    1

  • 34452
    No. They will be back. But temporarily they will be going different serving styles such as cafeteria style and family style based on the regulations in each area.   This is according to the best buffet in the country....Golden Corral. 
      May 14, 2020 5:18 PM MDT
    2

  • 23659
    OMG!!! my2cents -- that is the restaurant I talked about in my answer!
    :)
    :)
      May 14, 2020 5:51 PM MDT
    2

  • 34452
    I have a large family full of picky eaters and it is the one place where everyone will be happy.  
    I read this question and got worried. So I went to their site and was very relieved. :)
      May 14, 2020 5:55 PM MDT
    3

  • 53526

      Perhaps where you live, things are different, I accept that.


    ~ 
      May 14, 2020 5:56 PM MDT
    2

  • 34452
    That is what Golden Corral's website said.   
    Sorry if some buffets are closing in your area. 
      May 14, 2020 6:00 PM MDT
    2

  • 23659
    I'm glad you took the trouble to check because I thought the same thing!

    I admit I'm not picky when it comes to bread -- I love bread immensely - - but I really like the dinner rolls and other bread products at that restaurant. :)
      May 14, 2020 6:06 PM MDT
    2

  • 34452
    The rolls are awesome.  

    I can not wait until the open...it is on my mind now. Yum. 
      May 14, 2020 6:25 PM MDT
    1

  • 34452
    I just found out there are locations open now.  I do not know your location but here is the link.  

    https://www.goldencorral.com/open-restaurants/

    I know were I am going this weekend...I have to drive but it will worth it. 
      May 15, 2020 12:20 PM MDT
    2