Buffet Chains Are Scamming You. Here’s 5 Things to Look Out For.

Eating out can become costly. Especially, post pandemic. Luckily, countless restaurants boast deals on their food, by way of buffet. However, it seems these deals aren’t all their cracked up to be. In fact, the majority of people don’t eat enough in one sitting to justify the cost of each plate. Here are 5 possible scams the restaurants are using to convince people they’re getting a deal.

1. A Buffet Trick to Cut Costs

Businesses often have a strategy for their layout. In the case of restaurants setting up buffet style, the reason for their set up is to hopefully save money. In many cases, they will place cheaper items like salads, then carb rich foods like pasta and potatoes first in order to “encourage” customers to fill up on cheaper items before moving onto the expensive meats and seafood.

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2. A Buffet Plate is Smaller

In many cases, restaurants use smaller plates for their buffet. The idea is that the customer is given the illusion they’re getting more bang for their buck. In reality, the customer just has less space for food. Similarly, customers might notice the same to be true of tongs and spoons for grabbing more expensive food items. Whereas the spoons and tongs for cheaper and high carb foods are larger. Furthermore, restaurants rely on the success of “the law of diminishing returns“. Essentially, counting on the fact that after your first plate, the food will begin to sound less and less appealing. Or in other words, you’ll be too full to continue eating.

3. Restaurants Repurpose Food

Although it’s unlikely that restaurants serve leftover food from other people’s plates, they do take leftovers from the kitchen and make a new dish. For example, older steak may be chopped up and repurposed into fajitas. Or vegetables may be added together to make soups or curries. In fact, going to a buffet might feel like a deal but the food isn’t at its freshest and therefore, not quite its best.

4. A Seafood Buffet Might be the Worst

For people who love seafood, a buffet might sound like a great idea. After all, seafood is incredibly expensive, and a buffet is all you can eat. On the other hand, it turns out that in most cases the seafood that’s served buffet style is often the lowest quality, isn’t prepared properly, or can be “past their prime”. Fortunately, this only applies to shellfish like crab legs. Items like tuna and salmon have stricter health code regulations and are often safe to consume even at a buffet.

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5. Hire Less Staff

Another money saving technique used by restaurants is that by serving buffet style, they put the work onto the customer. While they’ll still have to pay someone to maintain the buffet and bus tables, when customers serve themselves, there’s no need to employ waiters. Therefore, one might assume that even though a buffet is intended to feel like the customer is getting a deal, in many cases, it might actually cost more than it’s worth. On the other hand, everyone needs money so technically, if you feel like you’re getting quality food at a reasonable price then one could argue this isn’t really a scam.

Professional’s Guide to Eating More

Interestingly, there are some methods that may help ensure you get the most for your money when at a buffet. Matt “Megatoad” Stonie was the #4 competitive eater in the world in 2015. On the 4th of July he ate 62 hot dogs and buns, claiming the 2015 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating title. Then, a few weeks later, won the Hooters Worldwide Wing Eating championship for eating 241 wings. He explains that eating something light a little while before going to a buffet will help you eat more because your digestive tract will already be in motion when it’s time to eat. Similarly, gum has been shown to do the same.

He also suggests drinking water throughout the day as it helps the stomach to “stretch”

However, you should stay away from carbonated beverages, including sparkling water as the bubbles make you feel fuller, and possibly for longer. Furthermore, starting with high water content foods like soups and salads will prevent an upset stomach, Thereby, allowing you to eat more food in one sitting.

The Bottom Line

In many cases, restaurants may offer buffet options to avoid having waste food that’s no longer fresh or crisp. However, some restaurants have made a reputation strictly on their ability to serve high quality food buffet style. As such, there are some exceptions to these rules, even if they’re far and few between. Either way, it’s important to really be in the moment while scanning a buffet to ensure the best possible options for your body and your wallet.

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