Sorry, Old Country Buffet fans: Your favorite haunt for cheese biscuits is no more. Most closed early in the health crisis, including Souplantation, which declared bankruptcy in May. Yet buffets might be in a bind for a while. Check out this old Old Country Buffet training video. Hometown Buffets parent company is VitaNova Brands, which at press time had not returned a call for comment. Number 8860726. Four locations of these buffet restaurants in three states are officially closed. 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. The company has recently announced that it will be closing all of its Hometown Buffet locations, including their flagship location in Downey, California. The cosy atmosphere makes this place a good choice for a family dinner. Add it all together, and this might well be the end for a massive portion of the broad-menu buffet business. By the time the pandemic hit, it had only 16 locations in four states. 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. This cafeteria-style buffet has a long, storied history in its home state of Texas. The company closed 30 locations in 2019, and more closures are expected in 2020. However, in recent years, the company has been struggling to keep up with the changing landscape of the restaurant industry. Sales last year increased 0.8%, though unit count declined 1.2%, according to Technomic. Get the best food tips and diet Federal recommendations on reopening restaurants note that they should discontinue self-service operations. 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 company was founded in 1983 and has been in business for over 35 years. VitaNova shut down the locations in March when the coronavirus pandemic began. Get the best food tips and diet advice Hometown Buffet has been closed for months, but has rebranded itself Hometown Buffet AYCE Marketplace, standing for All You Can Eat, in an attempt to combine the buffet concept with table service. Hometown Buffet has been on a slow decline since then, closing dozens of locations over the past decade. He has a master's degree from Claremont Graduate University and a bachelor's degree from Pepperdine University. Pizza Huts dine-in restaurants, most of which feature menu service and an all-you-can eat buffet, used to be the cornerstone of the chain, but theyre quickly fading into oblivion. 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. 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. In early March 2018, it was announced that all Hometown Buffet locations would be closed by early May. 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. So if a healthy eater on a mission figures out their layout and makes a detour for the proteins and produce (while skipping all the filling carbs), they're going to cost a lot more to feed than other diners who paid the same entry fee for the buffet. The big buffet chain has been gradually reopening locations across the country with a different service model, typically a cafeteria-style strategy in which employees serve customers items that would have otherwise been in a buffet. Given the choice, customers are picking Golden Corral over Old Country Buffet pretty consistently. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. Clearly there's no shortage of carbs in this country so, what gives? Buffets, like many other businesses throughout the U.S., have closed out of safety precautions, and may not be able to return once the COVID-19 crisis is over. The way buffets operate may change permanently because of the COVID-19 crisis. As with many restaurants on this list, HomeTown Buffet has faced bankruptcy in the past. The companys closure leaves Golden Corral as the only major national buffet chain still in operation. At one point the only thing Americans loved more than eating, was eating at a buffet. For more restaurant news and dining tips,please sign up for our free newsletters. The chains new owners hope to turn things around with more of a focus on delivery. When the pandemic started, Fresh Acquisitionsonce a subsidiary of FMP Managementhad 90 restaurants between HomeTown and the other brands. There are currently six Tahoe Joe's operating today, a spokeswoman for VitaNova Brands told Nations Restaurant News. Related:Chain Restaurants That Are Closing Locations. 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. Fresh Acquisitions LLC and Buffets LLC, the parent of five buffet concepts and one steakhouse, declared bankruptcy Tuesday as COVID-19 "significantly disrupted" operations and "severely limited" demand. 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. After all, a buffet's most enticing factor is the one price, all you can eat aspectand, of course, the endless opportunities to go for second helpings. document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function() { Updated Oct 12, 2020, 12:13pm CDT. According to Gallup polling, the 42 percent of adults polled said they attended church in 2008. There were 90 restaurants before COVID, but only six remain open as of now. We have no immediate plans to reopen any of the buffet brands, he said, reports Restaurant Business. In 2008, FMP filed for bankruptcy and sold Hometown Buffet to Ovation Brands. Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. 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. Choice overload is a thing, which is why niche restaurants are so popular in a time period when our choices are endless. Hometown Buffet is a buffet-style restaurant chain with locations across the United States. It might be premature to say that the buffet is dead, but it seems likely to go into a coma for a while. Eli Lilly announced a cap on insulin costs. If the family does go to church and eat afterward, they're probably eating atChipotle afterwards. The chain is known for its all-you-can-eat buffet style, which allows customers to sample a variety of dishes. Nation's Restaurant News is part of the Informa Connect Division of Informa PLC. Pizza Inn late last month instituted what it called a contactless buffet to-gooption, offering a combination of pizzas, appetizers and desserts at three price points. Hometown Buffet offers a variety of food and drink options, including a salad bar, hot entrees, and a dessert bar. It also added an online foodservice offering through ToGoKitchens.com, which offers brands owned by VitaNova. Hometown Buffet was founded in 1983 and was based in Downey, California. In addition, many consumers are now more health conscious and are looking for healthier menu options when they go out to eat. The competition for takeout and off-premise food is very high. But it, too, was already struggling, and was ultimately brought down for good in parent company Fresh Acquisitions bankruptcy. In June 2020, FMP Management ceased operations, entering bankruptcy itself. It sort of reminds me of how big of a deal Chinese banquets are, said Small, whos Chinese-American. No-buffet rules aren't keeping Golden Corral from reopening its restaurants. 52 Hometown Buffet Locations in California (CA, US) City Shortcuts: Anaheim Eureka Fresno Moreno Valley Salinas San Leandro Hometown Buffet in 92802-3015 at 1630 W Katella Ave Hometown Buffet in 92806-4104 at 2190 E Lincoln Ave Bakersfield Hometown Buffet Bell Hometown Buffet Calexico Hometown Buffet Cerritos Hometown Buffet Chico Hometown Buffet HomeTown Buffet. This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. HomeTown Buffet and several affiliated buffet chains on Monday filed for its third Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing in eight years, according to court documents, potentially affecting more . Buffet owners like Sherry Buenostro view having one as a point of pride. Trying to find a Hometown Buffet? In 2017, Hometown Buffetufffds parent company, Downey Financial Corp., filed for bankruptcy. California Hometown Buffet locations (52), Connecticut Hometown Buffet locations (6), Massachusetts Hometown Buffet locations (1). Even places like Five Guys and Shake Shack (which is, after all, leading the burger revolution) are trying to make the average hamburger joint a gourmet-ish experience but it still better be quick! Regardless of the service approach, all utensils are changed out every 20 minutes, and new social distancing and enhanced sanitation protocols are in place at all restaurants. 1996: HomeTown Buffet is acquired. It opened seven new locations in 2017,and sales rose 3.7 percent. As of 2019, there are 97 Hometown Buffet locations across the United States. Since the crisis began, Buenrostro said that sales have declined about 75%. Life before food delivery apps was archaic! The social distancing as it relates to buffets is a challenge, said Roslyn Stone, chief operating officer for Zero Hour Health, which helps restaurant operators with food safety and health issues. These closures signal a change in the way that people are choosing to dine out. View the Hometown Buffet menu, read Hometown Buffet reviews, and get Hometown Buffet hours and directions. Farm-to-table menus full of sustainable, locally sourced ingredients are all the rage now. Like Old Country Buffet, this all-you-can-eat haunt serving up comfort food fare used to be among the nations biggest buffet chains. It is unclear if the chain will be able to survive in the long term. Get the best food tips and diet advice every single day, Now, you'll have the best and latest food and healthy eating news right in your inboxevery Reservations are not required unless dining as a group or large tour. It's been a tough year for all-you-can-eat neighborhood restaurants, and there are four other buffet closures to know about. The contents of 11 Hometown Buffet restaurants in California are being auctioned off in online liquidation sales. Anya Torres from Des Moines, Iowa, said some of the reasons shes such a big fan of buffets are the price, variety and convenience. It was definitely a little dclass and we loved it.. Get todays need-to-know restaurant industry intelligence. This once-ubiquitous buffet was among the chains that shuttered as a result of parent company Fresh Acquisitions bankruptcy in 2021. Hometown Buffet provides families a friendly environment to gather for a meal. The CEO of Global Franchise Group, Round Table Pizzas parent company, told Marketplace that Round Table may discontinue its salad bar and pizza buffet permanently. Yet broad-menu buffet chains have generally struggled to adapt to thecoronavirus environment. It may be the end of an era for one of Americas favorite places to fill up and then some: the buffet. HomeTown Buffet was already struggling before the pandemic hit, so it's no surprise that this beloved chain has gone under. Sherry Buenrostro has operated La Nacional Mexican Buffet in Columbus, Georgia, along with her husband and parents-in-law, for nearly 20 years. It is unclear what will happen to the Hometown Buffet locations that are currently in operation. Since then, Hometown Buffet has continued to close locations and is now down to just over 30 restaurants. The VitaNova spokeswoman said the recovery of buffet-style restaurants will depend upon the easing of dining restrictions. Related: The Most Cringe-Worthy Commercials of All Time. His beats have included, business, dining, entertainment, and Southern California theme parks. Similarly, many other buffet concepts shut their doors, including Sweet Tomatoes, HomeTown Buffet, Old Country Buffet and others. 6 Hometown Buffet Locations in Connecticut (CT, US) Enfield Hometown Buffet Manchester Hometown Buffet Milford Hometown Buffet The pandemic was also the death knell, it seems, for HomeTown Buffet and other chains under the Fresh Acquisitions umbrella. Winsight is a leading B2B information services company focused on the food and beverage industry, providing insight and market intelligence to business leaders in every channel consumers buy food and beverage convenience stores, grocery retailing, restaurants and noncommercial foodservice through media, events, data products, advisory services, and trade shows. } Theres nobody else in Columbus like us, she said. The parent company of Sweet Tomatoes and Souplantation has gone into liquidation, and the two largest Golden Corral franchisees pursued debt protection. Apparently what the Gages didn't know was that a month before they ate there, the Laramie County Health Department had fined the restaurant for 18 health violations because of others reporting sickness. Sales at the chain were down 62%in 2020. Eater reported that Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas (which cost $100 million to design) is allocating $2.4 million to remodel the area, with changes that will affect food counters and service equipment. advice every day. Hometown Buffet is a buffet-style restaurant chain downey with locations across the United States. If fewer people are making it to service on Sunday, then it makes sense that the post-church lunch at Old Country Buffet is also on the decline. However, the chain has been struggling in recent years. That doesn't include its sister restaurants, Hometown Buffet and Ryan's.

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