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No business opens its doors with the intent of not making money, but there are some ideas so dumb it’s hard to imagine a company turning a profit. The “all you can eat” dining concept is a perfect example.
Exactly how can a restaurant offer patrons unlimited food for one set price? The answer, according to this video from Business Insider, is more straightforward than it seems. They cut corners and save money in other ways.
For example, they don’t need a full wait staff because the waiters and waitresses don’t do much except bring drinks and the check. The second, less obvious trick is food placement. Carbs and heavy, dense foods are at the beginning of the buffet line. The sides fill up the plate, and your stomach, leaving little room on your plate or in your gut for the more expensive entree items.
Other tricks of the trade include slightly smaller plates and bigger than standard drink cups.
And finally, duh, they buy and prepare cheaper, lower quality food.
The number of all you can eat joints declined in recent years thanks to poor quality food and casual restaurants offering “limited time” all you can eat entree options and those goddamn millennials.
The video concludes that the only way to stay in business these days is loyalty. And maybe a couple gimmicks based on popular mob films and $100 meatballs.