26-04-2025
Buffet restaurant chains staging comeback after years of struggles and shutdowns
After years of struggle and numerous closures, buffet restaurant chains are surprisingly bouncing back.
While some eateries are
reintroducing popular options
that were previously discontinued, many buffet chains have lost their appeal to consumers.
However,
buffet chains seem to be regaining popularity after initially losing favor, while other restaurants
raise prices
and
close
their doors
.
The decline of buffets was already in motion before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the health crisis hastened their downfall, resulting in many permanent closures.
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Yet, over the past year, three chains - CiCi's Pizza, Golden Corral, and Mr. Gatti's Pizza - have started to see themselves on an upward trend, reports
the Mirror US
.
Buffet restaurants are starting to make a comeback.
All are reaching significant milestones, refreshing their brands, or growing and expanding.
Cici's Pizza, a chain with outlets in 30 states offering game rooms and a variety of pizzas and pastas, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2021 due to the impact of the pandemic.
However, by 2024, it began seeking more franchisees as part of its expansion plan, leading to the celebration of its 40th anniversary in 2025.
As part of this celebration, they offered their buffet for just $4.99 on Mondays and Tuesdays from January 6 through February 11.
Mr. Gatti's Pizza, another pizza buffet, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2019, owing creditors between $10 and $50 million. However, the company has since turned its fortunes around, expanding with new locations and boasting 234 restaurants by the end of 2024, along with a 0.4% increase in sales.
They've also partnered with Walmart to open 12 new locations within their stores across Oklahoma and
Texas
, set to be operational by the end of 2025.
On the other hand, Golden Corral continues to offer traditional-style buffet options while exploring new concepts. Despite facing challenges during the pandemic, the chain adapted to limit exposure by having servers portion food to customers.
This adaptability led to developing a new unified commerce platform and a rebranded version of the concept, now known as Golden Corral Favorites. This concept aligns more with the fast-casual dining model, featuring drive-thrus for customer convenience and dishes directly from the restaurant's buffet lineup.
