If that success continues, it will likely shutter its buffets at most restaurants. Old Country Buffet has been an American strip mall staple for years. Asked about the fate of other banners, the spokeswoman said it was up to the courts.. Alex Susskind, a professor of food and beverage management at Cornell University, said he does not think buffets can survive under the methods they used to operate under. In an emailed statement, Sizzler said that while its self-serving salad bar will not be available as it reopens dining rooms, it is exploring a handful of scenarios that would allow it to provide the items in their salad bar in line with local, state and national safety regulations. Those concepts might have an easier adjustment to the new reality. The Hometown Buffet closure is just the latest in a string of buffet-style restaurant closures. If Hometown Buffet cant find a way to appeal to todays consumers, it may not be long before the chain is out of business for good. Anyone who wants to eat local is more than likely going somewhere other than Old Country Buffet and the number of people that applies to is steadily rising. Why did HomeTown Buffet close? 3790 SW Hall Blvd, Beaverton, OR 97005-2050 +1 503-627-0336 Website Menu. Related:Chain Restaurants That Are Closing Locations. Chain Restaurants That Are Closing Locations, this old Old Country Buffet training video, Local Burger Chains the Rest of the Country Needs, Age Pays: 130+ Senior Discounts (Some Starting at Age 50! The way buffets operate may change permanently because of the COVID-19 crisis. Hometown Buffet has been a staple in the community for over 30 years, but its recently closed its doors. Choose your state to find the nearest one or view the Hometown Buffet menu. California alone has 23. The first Lubys opened in the 40s, and the chain ballooned to more than 200 locationsin the mid-90s. What happened to the all-you-can-eat destination? Federal recommendations on reopening restaurants note that they should discontinue self-service operations. As of 2019, there are 97 Hometown Buffet locations across the United States. Still in mourning? Ponderosa (or Bonanza, depending on your region) was a Western-themed buffet that served up slabs of meat, veggies, and chicken wings with equal aplomb. Not to mention all those serving utensils that have touched about 100 hands before yours and the fact that they probably fell into that casserole just before you got in line. With many Americans becoming more health-conscious and opting for healthier meal options, buffet restaurants have been struggling to keep up with the times. Like several other closed buffet chains, though, its store count dwindled in recent years as fast-casual dining started to dominate. AsReader's Digest points out, it's not so much what they serve that makes it risky but more how they serve it. At the beginning of October, news surfaced that Metro Corral Partners, which owns over 24 locations of the iconic buffet and grill Golden Corral, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Locations outside of Southern California being liquidated include Fairfield, Santa Maria, Stockton, and Turlock in auctions closing Tuesday through Friday. Sales last year increased 0.8%, though unit count declined 1.2%, according to Technomic. Hometown Buffet has been unable to keep up with these changes and will likely continue to decline until it is eventually forced to close its doors for good. All Rights Reserved. The irony is, buffets are probably the fastest food to mouth option you can get outside of your home they just don't have that "fast casual" label that's practically required for popular eateries these days. 25, 2018. Yes, Sizzler is still around, and the pandemic hasn't made it any easier for this throwback of a steakhouse and buffet chain to hold on. The company is privately owned, byInvestors Management Corp., a company chaired by the same man who opened the first location. Darren Tristano, the CEO and founder of Food Service Results, said buffet restaurants had already been in decline for 20 years, driven by consumers change in taste for healthier options. She and her best friend can take their young kids, who wont fuss about the wait time compared to other restaurants. Like Old Country Buffet, this all-you-can-eat haunt serving up comfort food fare used to be among the nations biggest buffet chains. Four locations of these buffet restaurants in three states are officially closed. However, in recent years, the company has been struggling to keep up with the changing landscape of the restaurant industry. As of today, 284 Golden Corral dining rooms have safely reopened across the country. FMP also scooped up Furrs in 2015 after that chain declared bankruptcy the year prior. The 2016 Chapter 11 filing primarily blamed costs associated with a lawsuit against the company, and with it brought even more store closures. The competition for takeout and off-premise food is very high. In 2014, The Gages sued Old Country Buffet and Ovation Brands for permanent damage to his health and medical costs associated with treating salmonella poisoning. Even if Old Country Buffet did start partnering with Uber Eats, it seems like something that wouldn't work well. Remember when you used to have to put on pants to go pick up take-out at your favorite restaurant? Buffets, Inc. which includes the chains Old Country Buffet, Hometown Buffet and Ryans is also looking at new ways of operating, and may move towards one-on-one service, according to a spokesperson from Buffets parent company, Food Management Partners. By the time FMP Management bought the company (then called Ovation Brands) in 2015, the company only had 300 locations, and it declared bankruptcy again in 2016. The future of Hometown Buffet is uncertain. Fast casuals not only do a very good job with high quality and healthier fare, but many of them, like Panera Bread, are offering drive-throughs and express pick-ups, he said. This filing came after years of decline for the buffet chain. The endless scroll struggle is real. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. After closing all restaurants, this list is now closed. And in Las Vegas, which is known for its higher-end buffets, one resort is doling out a lot of money to ensure its survival. Similarly, many other buffet concepts shut their doors, including Sweet Tomatoes, HomeTown Buffet, Old Country Buffet and others. Restaurant Business reported on HomeTown Buffet and its sibling chainsTahoe Joes, Old Country Buffet, Ryans, Fire Mountain, and Furrsin April 2021. Cheapism may earn a commission if you buy through a link on our site. Even if the closed restaurant locations could be reopened immediately, the debtors believe that the short-term costs of maintaining the leases would outweigh any potential long-term benefits from operating the restaurants therein, the filing stated. Similarly, many other buffet concepts shut their doors, including Sweet Tomatoes, HomeTown Buffet, Old Country Buffet and others. This is a significant decrease from the over 200 locations that the chain once had. Five locations reopened as "AYCE Marketplaces" in summer 2020. Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. That means those self-service drink stations at many fast-food restaurants will be gone for the time being. But in the 21st century, despite the promise of delicious cheese biscuits awaiting you behind those ubiquitous red letters, Old Country Buffet has definitely had some setbacks. It opened an additional seven locations and now has 489, and average unit volumes increased. The HomeTown Buffets in Chula Vista, and Bakersfield, Calif., the Ryan's in Charleston, W. Va., and The Old Country Buffets in Chicago were hit hard by the pandemic. Farm-to-table menus full of sustainable, locally sourced ingredients are all the rage now. I act like Im OK, but deep down, I miss HomeTown Buffet, another Twitter user wrote in May 2021. Hometown Buffet is a chain of all-you-can-eat buffet-style restaurants. Related: Fast-Food Restaurants Then and Now. By the time the pandemic hit, it had only 16 locations in four states. Everybodys happy.. 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Theyre looking for restaurants that offer fresh food, a variety of menu options, and an inviting atmosphere. Last October, the company said it was permanently closing four buffet units, including two Hometown Buffet restaurants in California, a Ryan's in West Virginia and an Old Country buffet in. To stay up-to-date on all restaurant news, sign up for our daily newsletter! Buffet owners like Sherry Buenostro view having one as a point of pride. The chain lost at least 15 restaurantsbetween late 2019 and September 2020, according to Restaurant Business. But as restaurant chains have become more sophisticated, diners have become more selective about where they choose to eat. When the pandemic started, Fresh Acquisitionsonce a subsidiary of FMP Managementhad 90 restaurants between HomeTown and the other brands. All-you-can-eat buffets have also come under fire for being wasteful and contributing to rising obesity rates. All four haven't seen a customer since. These days there's a restaurant for pretty much every kind of niche food you can think of, from chicken and waffles to Indonesian stew. It is unclear what will happen to the Hometown Buffet locations that are currently in operation. For this reason, a couple craving steamed pork dumplings would probably prefer to get them at that specialty dumpling hole in the wall than at the local all-you-can-eat buffet. 6 Hometown Buffet Locations in Connecticut (CT, US) Enfield Hometown Buffet Manchester Hometown Buffet Milford Hometown Buffet They're like the Kardashian/Jenner family of buffets. While the American institution known as The Buffet may be on the decline, Golden Corral continues to ball out of control. Like many of the chains on this list, it was in steady decline before the pandemic, its restaurants dwindlingto 75 by 2019 from more than 300, according to Vox. The company had filed for bankruptcy twice in the past decade, and its most recent filing showed that it owed creditors nearly $100 million. As with many restaurants on this list, HomeTown Buffet has faced bankruptcy in the past. Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Hometown Buffet locations that closed earlier this fall include Downey and Hemet. Not all closed, to be sure:Sizzler isstill operating with a takeout menu,for instance. Although Hometown Buffets closure will be a setback for the 1,800 employees who will be losing their jobs, it is not expected to have a significant impact on the overall restaurant industry. And any diet-conscious person who does eat at Old Country Buffet will likely cost the chain money, so that's not any better. The buffet style allows customers to choose from a wide variety of food, which is served by waiters and waitresses. For a list of stores that were open prior to this change, please contact our Customer Service . with the below statement: Metro Corral Partners, a Golden Corral franchise entity, notified us in advance of their intention to file voluntary Chapter 11 reorganization.