Long gone are the days when you can only order pizza or Chinese food to your front door. Have no fear; weve compiled a list of all the Hometown Buffet locations. ahoe Joe's operating today, a spokeswoman for VitaNova Brands told Nations Restaurant News. As of early April 2021,only about 290of the chains pre-pandemic 490 restaurants were open, according to Restaurant Business, though it was unclear how many of those closings would be permanent. On top of all that, Tristano said many buffets occupy spaces with a very large square footage, which means higher rent. Sales at the chain were down 62%in 2020. Real talk: People also probably feel classier eating at Golden Corral since the word "buffet" isn't in the name. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you. According to the location finder on its site, today there are only a total of 17 Old Country Buffet restaurants left in the country, and sales were down more than 37 percent in 2017. At this restaurant, clients can try nicely cooked fried chicken, pot roast and roasted chicken. With many Americans becoming more health-conscious and opting for healthier meal options, buffet restaurants have been struggling to keep up with the times. Clearly there's no shortage of carbs in this country so, what gives? They're like the Kardashian/Jenner family of buffets. In the past year, weve seen similar closures from Souplantation, Sweet Tomatoes, and Ryans Grill, Buffet & Bakery. 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. Given the choice, customers are picking Golden Corral over Old Country Buffet pretty consistently. As of 2019, there are 97 Hometown Buffet locations across the United States. And in Nov. 2021, a third user tweeted, I havent fully been myself since HomeTown Buffet closed.. You just sit down and go get your food, Torres said. 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. In addition, many consumers are now more health conscious and are looking for healthier menu options when they go out to eat. According to Gallup polling, the 42 percent of adults polled said they attended church in 2008. 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. Related:Age Pays: 130+ Senior Discounts (Some Starting at Age 50!). Heres another familiar name gone down the drain in the Fresh Acquisitions bankruptcy. While things may change permanently, she said shes still grateful shes able to operate hers right now. This grilling-focused buffet chain is the final domino to fall in the Fresh Acquisitions bankruptcy. Its the same idea: theres all this food and its a big gathering.. HomeTown Buffet - Home - Facebook The company has recently announced that it will be closing all of its Hometown Buffet locations, including their flagship location in Downey, California. Buffet chains have been hit particularly hard by the novel coronavirus pandemic since their business models. The company faces stiff competition from other buffet chains, as well as from fast casual restaurants that offer made-to-order meals. xhr.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain;charset=UTF-8'); It's not very likely you'll get your delivery driver to bring you seconds unless, of course, you pay him a second time, too. Buffets are able to cut costs by focusing on the behavioral psychology of how we eat at a buffet. The chain lost at least 15 restaurantsbetween late 2019 and September 2020, according to Restaurant Business. All 13 locations closed permanently in late 2020, with company officials attributing the decision to rising food and operational costs even once restaurants had reopened from their initial COVID-19 shutdowns. In recent years, Hometown Buffet has struggled financially, and several locations have closed. Article continues below advertisement The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the fall of 2020, citing a huge decline in dine-in business and trouble negotiating rent relief with landlords. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcyin the fall of 2020, citing a huge decline in dine-in business and trouble negotiating rent relief with landlords. Buffets LLC, also filed bankruptcy at the same time. Golden Corral Corporation reached out to ETNT! In Oct. 2021, BBQ Holdingsthe parent company of the barbecue restaurant chain Famous Daveswon a bankruptcy auction for Fresh Acquisitions LLC, agreeing to pay $5.2 million in the deal. All-you-can-eat buffets have also come under fire for being wasteful and contributing to rising obesity rates. The leaders of Golden Corral are clearly very loyal to the brand. VitaNova said it manages all store-level and corporate operations for ToGoKitchens.com, Zios Italian Kitchen, Sushi Zushi, the Tahoe Joes steakhouse brand, and Furrs AYCE Marketplace. That goes right to the basic model of the buffet concept, which is based on the idea of allowing consumers to get an endless supply of food whenever theyve emptied their plates. As restaurants reopen, many regulations explicitly forbid buffets and self-service. The parent company of Furrs Fresh Buffet, Ryans, Old Country Buffet, Hometown Buffet and other concepts filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week. Since then, its footprint has shrunk even further, with no locations for either Ponderosa or Bonanza listed on the website. Rowland and Jensen left in 1986 to start Homestyle Buffet in Clearwater, Florida . In the bankruptcy filing, Fresh Acquisitions listed its largest unsecured creditor as supplier Dynamic Foods of Lubbock, Texas, which is owed about $4 million. var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest(); On Wednesday, January 2, 2019, it was announced that Hometown Buffet, a restaurant chain specializing in an all-you-can-eat buffet of American food items, would be closing down all of its company-owned locations. One of the big differences between the chains, according to Restaurant Business, is consistency in ownership. When the pandemic started, Fresh Acquisitionsonce a subsidiary of FMP Managementhad 90 restaurants between HomeTown and the other brands. Reopening regulations and consumer skittishness could force changes in thesubsector that had been in decline for some time. 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. Asked about the fate of other banners, the spokeswoman said it was up to the courts.. Before Old Country Buffet filed for bankruptcy the first time in 2008, its parent company Buffets, Inc. had merged with Ryan's Restaurant Group in 2006, and was high rolling as the country's largest buffet chain. Like its sister chains, it was in deep trouble before the pandemic hit, and Google News was full of stories detailing the abrupt closings of local restaurants. On February 6, 2018, the parent company of Hometown Buffet, Ovation Brands, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Fast food that's not really fast food but is still sort of fast food is taking over. Two of the largest Golden Corral franchisees filed for bankruptcy since the pandemic began, and one of them shut down 16 locations permanently. She and her best friend can take their young kids, who wont fuss about the wait time compared to other restaurants. I feel like just to still have a business to come back to, to still have my employees back with me that definitely is a positive, she said. "Recovery has been steady, but slow, and some franchisees will not be able to continue to operate without additional financial relief.". The contents of 11 Hometown Buffet restaurants in California are being auctioned off in online liquidation sales. But it, too, was already struggling, and was ultimately brought down for good in parent company Fresh Acquisitions bankruptcy. On October 1, 2010, Nebraska couple Chris and Heather Gage dined at an Old Country Buffet in Cheyenne, Wyoming. xhr.open('POST', 'https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', true); Okay, so if at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again and again. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and was purchased by Ovation Brands in 2009. But as restaurant chains have become more sophisticated, diners have become more selective about where they choose to eat. Visitors don't highly appreciate ice cream and chocolate frappe at HomeTown Buffet. document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function() { Fresh Acquisitions and its affiliates are party to 71 restaurant leases, which include 57 locations where restaurants have ceased operations, the company said in a filing with the bankruptcy court seeking relief from its rent burden. Food-poisoning cases have also affected the reputation of buffets, with Souplantation experiencing an E. Coli outbreak in 2007 and one Old Country Buffet diner getting infected with Salmonella in 2010. Below are the latest Hometown Buffet menu prices. Some businesses are getting creative in order to survive, with one St. Louis grocery store converting their salad bar into a mini-booze bottle buffet. These closures signal a change in the way that people are choosing to dine out. All Rights Reserved. Related: Fast-Food Restaurants Then and Now. buffet restaurants have been hit hard by the rise of fast casual chains like Chipotle and Panera Bread, which offer fresh, made-to-order food at a similar price point. While the American institution known as The Buffet may be on the decline, Golden Corral continues to ball out of control. Tristano noted that many buffet chains have tried to expand their business in the past by introducing takeout models, but experienced limited success. Hometown Buffet announced that it would be closing down all of its restaurants this week, news that sent shockwaves through the already beleaguered restaurant industry. Hometown Buffet was not able to keep up with these changing trends, and as a result, they are no longer in business. ToGoKitchens.com, which offers brands owned by VitaNova. Join us for a free, virtual event for International Women's Day on March 8! The chain was founded in 1984 and currently has locations in 34 states. Two HomeTown Buffets, one Ryan's, and one Old Country Buffet are now buffets closed for good. Five locations reopened as "AYCE Marketplaces" in summer 2020. Last week, the buffet chain Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes announced all 97 of its restaurants are closing permanently. 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. There were 90 restaurants before COVID, but only six remain open as of now. This will impact over 1,800 employees across the country who will now be left without a job. single Not all closed, to be sure: Sizzler is still operating with a takeout menu, for instance. 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. ), had more than 500 family-friendly steakhouse buffet restaurants, operated 155 Pizza Inns at the end of 2019, The Most Cringe-Worthy Commercials of All Time, 30 American-Themed Restaurants and Attractions Around the World. Hometown Buffets parent company is VitaNova Brands, which at press time had not returned a call for comment. As a result of these factors, Hometown Buffet has closed many of its locations in recent years. For more restaurant news and dining tips,please sign up for our free newsletters. That means. Farm-to-table menus full of sustainable, locally sourced ingredients are all the rage now. It also added an online foodservice offering through ToGoKitchens.com, which offers brands owned by VitaNova. Fresh Acquisitions LLC and 14 other affiliated companies which collectively own Old Country Buffet, Ryan's, HomeTown Buffet, Country Buffet and Fire Mountain, Furr's and Tahoe Joe's . Hometown Buffet provides families a friendly environment to gather for a meal. Hometown Buffet is a chain of restaurants that offers a buffet-style meal including all-you-can-eat food and drink. Parent of Ryan's, Hometown Buffet and other chains files bankruptcy After closing all restaurants, this list is now closed. After the 2008 Chapter 11 filing, the chain reduced some of its 626 locations and slashed debt by a whopping $700 million. Old Country Buffet has been an American strip mall staple for years. The cosy atmosphere makes this place a good choice for a family dinner. Share. We have no immediate plans to reopen any of the buffet brands, he said, reports Restaurant Business. Sign up here. The competition for takeout and off-premise food is very high. Federal recommendations on reopening restaurants note that they should discontinue self-service operations. The 2016 Chapter 11 filing primarily blamed costs associated with a lawsuit against the company, and with it brought even more store closures. One of the nations foremost all-you-can-eat pizza chains emerged from the pandemic significantly smaller. Simply click on the Hometown Buffet location below to find out where it is located and if it received positive reviews. 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. HomeTown Buffet provides high quality food at affordable prices in a family friendly atmosphere. Remember when you used to have to put on pants to go pick up take-out at your favorite restaurant?