Food & Drink, Las Vegas, Nevada, Pleasures, Science & Health

Are buffets a thing of the past? Reimagining ‘all-you-can-eat’ in a post-COVID world

It’s hard to imagine salad bars and shared serving spoons in our new normal.

April 23, 2021, 11:15 AM PDT / Source: TODAY, By Ronnie Koenig

When buffets return, customers can expect to see staff enforcing social distancing policies and cleaning and sanitizing common utensils for months, if not years to come, said Chapman.TODAY Illustration / Getty Images stock

As restaurants have pivoted to stay open during the pandemic, buffets are one of those things that are difficult to imagining continuing in a post-COVID world.

Shared spoons, salad bar sneeze guards and standing in line next to other hungry customers in order to pile your plate high seems in direct opposition to the safety measures we’ve all adopted surrounding food service.

On Wednesday, Fresh Acquisitions, the parent company that owns Old Country Buffet, filed for bankruptcy, illustrating just how difficult it has been for restaurants whose concept centers around a communal dining experience.

Source: Are buffets a thing of the past? Reimagining ‘all-you-can-eat’ in a post-COVID world