KINGMAN, Ariz. — As restaurants start to reopen their dining rooms to customers, one type of business has a unique challenge ahead of them: buffets.
Some buffet-style restaurants have changed their way of doing business, while others have closed their doors permanently.
Golden Corral’s Kingman location is leading the way for the buffet franchise in Arizona. The restaurant at 3580 Stockton Hill Road opened their doors Tuesday to the delight of their customer base.
“Right now we’ve got quite a few guests coming in and are very excited,” said owner Rey Vasquez. “They’ve been waiting for us to open. A lot of positive comments on the new style cafeteria that we’ve gone to.”
Not like it was
The cafeteria-style Vasquez refers to is, perhaps, one of the biggest changes customers will notice. No longer can folks pick out their own food to create unique masterpieces. Now, employees behind the counters will assist.
It’s a system that is not unique to Golden Corral. Las Vegas, world-famous for their elaborate buffets, will also be switching to a cafeteria-style serving system, as laid out in their seven-point safety plan.
“Suspension of self-service buffet-style food service,” reads the plan. “Employees will be required to serve guests.”
It's hard to imagine this would be a game-changer for hardcore buffet enthusiasts, but it's just one more example of how the COVID pandemic has altered our reality.
Those who couldn't survive
Not all buffet-style restaurants will be opening their doors with post-pandemic changes. Some will never open their doors again.
The popular Sweet Tomatoes restaurant, which was a salad-oriented buffet, announced that they are going out of business.
When potential customers visit the Sweet Tomatoes website, they are greeted with this message:
“To our valued guests:
As you may have heard, we are unable to re-open our 97 Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes restaurants due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The outpouring of love on social media has been overwhelming and we are so grateful to all of the sweet memories you have share with us. We would like to thank our 4,400 team members for their dedication and love they have shown to our local communities. We will miss you tremendously and wish you all the best.”
A new 'normal'?
Rey Vasquez is optimistic that Golden Corral and businesses like it will one day soon be back to normal.
“We’re hoping that we’re probably looking at 60 days or until cases go away.” Vasquez guessed about how long this business model will be in effect. And really, it’s anyone’s guess.
Until the pandemic is over, and communities are once again safe from the threat of the virus, at least we can visit a buffet and assemble plates of food that defy the laws of culinary nature.
