1 00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you should Know, a production of I 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark. 3 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:17,439 Speaker 1: There's Charles w Chuck, Brian out there. Jerry just left 4 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 1: to go get some food. We're guessing at a buffet, 5 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 1: although probably not. I don't think she actually is going 6 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: to a buffet, Chuck. I can actually hear Jerry laughing 7 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 1: for the first I can't do. I don't know if 8 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: that's going to make it in the final lightit but 9 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: it was creepy and otherworldly, disembodied Jerry laugh kind of sinister, 10 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: and it's almost like we're in the same room again. Almost, man, 11 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:44,239 Speaker 1: almost someday less than a year. I'm thinking less than 12 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 1: a year. Yeah, let's just call it that. And we're 13 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:50,840 Speaker 1: talking about hitting the road again, huh eventually. Yeah, I mean, 14 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: if things go great, maybe next fall. But if they don't, 15 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: then uh, the next year we talk about stuff way 16 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 1: or yeah, I mean those theaters are going to be jamming. 17 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: That's that's the big thought is that when things truly 18 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: get better, everyone and their people have never even performed live. 19 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:11,680 Speaker 1: We're going to book theaters to get up on stage. 20 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 1: It's gonna be a lot of fun. There's gonna be 21 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: a lot of pent up energy to be released right 22 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: in our direction. Why talk about an easy crowd, man, 23 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: I can't wait for that. So, speaking of talking about things, chuck, 24 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: great segue, because it turns out we're talking about something today, 25 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:36,560 Speaker 1: and specifically we're talking about Buffet's. That's right, Jimmy, buffet 26 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 1: Do you have good I hadn't even thought about that, 27 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: good joke? Uh, do you have good memories of buffets 28 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 1: from when you were a kid or an adult? We 29 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: certainly went to Buffet's more than a little bit growing up, 30 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: and it kind of jibed with everything, um that our 31 00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: household believed in, which was value for the dollar. Sure. Um, 32 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: I learned from my dad that you should eat until 33 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: you were physically uncomfortable and then eat a little bit more. 34 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:11,799 Speaker 1: Oh that's good. I didn't have good food. Uh, examples 35 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: from my dad. And uh, you know, my mom has 36 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:21,079 Speaker 1: been known to stuff a roll or two in her purse. No, sure, dude, 37 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: she's she falls under the section titled problematic customers. Yeah, 38 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 1: and I think, boy, I hope she didn't hear that. 39 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: She's gonna be so mad. But it was usually under 40 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: the guys of like, well, I don't feel like I 41 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:34,840 Speaker 1: came in that hungry, so I didn't eat as much 42 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 1: as I actually do. Awesome, Well, I'll make you feel 43 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:40,640 Speaker 1: a little bit better. My mom, I don't think ever 44 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 1: once in her entire life bought candy at a movie theater. 45 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 1: She would always bring in those bag of Bolt candies 46 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: and her oversized giant nineteen eighties purse. Yeah, and it 47 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 1: was always great, like she always had the good candy. 48 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:56,360 Speaker 1: But you know, if you wanted like snow caps or something, 49 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:59,640 Speaker 1: so well, I will say this, I haven't been to 50 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 1: a book a I was really trying to figure out 51 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: the last time and I don't know, man, it like 52 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: it literally may have been twenty years ago in Las 53 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 1: Vegas or something, a town that I do not enjoy 54 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 1: going to. But I think maybe I can't think of 55 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 1: any time I used to go to a this sort 56 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 1: of super Asian buffet where when my sister and her 57 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:25,519 Speaker 1: husband lived in North Carolina with them, and it was 58 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:27,119 Speaker 1: one of those weird ones that had like this great 59 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 1: Chinese food but then like pasta and seafood and it 60 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: was but not like in the in the Asian style 61 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 1: of seafood, right right, Yeah, that's stuff. That's a typical 62 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 1: Chinese buffet. They have lots of Chinese food, but they 63 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 1: have everything, and they'll have like eight different buffets all 64 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: in one. Is it like that? Uh? Yeah? But actually 65 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: now I do remember the last time I went to 66 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: a buffet. I did go to one of those KFC buffets, 67 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: but it had to have been more than fifteen years ago. 68 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: Was that the one in Valdosta? That's the only one 69 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: I know about now? And I remember I literally went 70 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: because I saw it on the sign said the buffet, 71 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: and I was like, I've heard of these, I gotta 72 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: do it. Yeah. Well it's still around. There's one on 73 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 1: exit eighteen on I seventy five and Valdosta, Georgia. There's 74 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 1: a bona fide KFC buffet. I can personally attest to 75 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:23,800 Speaker 1: its existence. When was the last time you went to 76 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:26,919 Speaker 1: a buffet? I hadn't thought about it, and I was 77 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 1: thinking about it while you were talking. Um, I was 78 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 1: listening to you as well. But UM, do you remember 79 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:35,920 Speaker 1: when we did that that UM live catastrophe in Erie, Pennsylvania. 80 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:40,919 Speaker 1: Oh sure, yeah, yeah yeah. So the next formed at 81 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: a school in front of like nineteen people, Yes, yeah, 82 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 1: and like ten of them had to be there for 83 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 1: like course credit. I think, um the the the next day. 84 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:53,280 Speaker 1: So there's airplanes fly in and out of Erie a 85 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 1: couple of times a week, and um the the the 86 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 1: flight that I happened to have didn't leave to late 87 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:05,040 Speaker 1: the next afternoon. So I went and saw um Oh 88 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:07,480 Speaker 1: Cure for Wellness I think was the movie I saw 89 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 1: in the theater, and then I went and ate it 90 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 1: one of their local buffets, and Erie stayed on an 91 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 1: extra day. Huh, an extra two thirds of a day, 92 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:18,039 Speaker 1: very very long two thirds. I think I drove and 93 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:20,600 Speaker 1: flew out of another town. You did, you did, and 94 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:23,960 Speaker 1: I hadn't. I didn't have that foresight. But um but 95 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:26,280 Speaker 1: before that, I have to say, one of my favorite 96 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 1: buffets that I went to sometimes was pana Har. You 97 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 1: remember Panahar over on Beuford Highway. Sure late pana Har. 98 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: It just shut down, I believe in the last few months. 99 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:38,599 Speaker 1: I don't think I ever went there. Was it Indian buffet. 100 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 1: It was Bangladeshi, you know, like the average American would 101 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: just be like, oh, good Indian food, but it was 102 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: just magical. There was something that they put in the 103 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:52,599 Speaker 1: food that made everything really good. But they would do 104 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: a lunch buffet and it was fantastic. I bet you 105 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 1: would pay for that, though, I would pay a lot, 106 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:00,919 Speaker 1: especially now that it's gone under. Oh, I see what 107 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 1: you mean. You know what I mean. No, they had 108 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:04,799 Speaker 1: very good food. It was well made too. It didn't 109 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 1: just taste good, it was like well well made, like 110 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: they had some hundred and fifty year old grandmother back 111 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 1: in the kitchen overseeing things. Yeah. I don't mean that 112 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 1: it would be made bad. But Indian food is the 113 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:18,839 Speaker 1: love and vain of my existence. I love it so much, 114 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 1: but it Yeah, it doesn't get to me that bad. 115 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 1: But that's uh, that's part and parcel with buffet's though, Chuck, 116 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 1: it might not just be Indian food. It could just 117 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:29,720 Speaker 1: be the fact that it's a buffet, because buffets make 118 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 1: you super duper sick. All right. So should we talk 119 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: about the smorgas board, Yeah, because that's where the whole 120 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:39,360 Speaker 1: thing originated. Yeah, I was. I did not know the 121 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:41,279 Speaker 1: origin of that word, So it's kind of cool. In 122 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:46,240 Speaker 1: Scandinavia in the thirteenth century, they had Smorgese boards, but 123 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:51,359 Speaker 1: it was the Smortgage boards and brand Vince boards, And 124 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 1: it sounds a little more like if you were to 125 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 1: put out like a nice meat and cheese tray with 126 00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 1: some butter and spreads, uh, maybe little smoked fish. But 127 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 1: the key here is vodka on that brandvet's board, right, 128 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: So that's what everybody was there for. But they would 129 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 1: lay out these spreads for like travelers who came to visit, 130 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:15,400 Speaker 1: guests who came over long distances, and they'd be like, here, 131 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 1: restore yourself with these, you know, the spread of light food. 132 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 1: And over time the Swede said, you know, this is 133 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,160 Speaker 1: a really great idea, let's just make this the meal. 134 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: So from what I can tell, it began as the 135 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 1: bron Vins board and then later became the Smorgas Board. 136 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 1: And in addition to the fact that it was like 137 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 1: this awesome spread of great food that everybody loved, um, 138 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 1: the aristocracy like the fact that um, the the staff 139 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 1: would just be attending to the Smorgas board. They wouldn't 140 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 1: be waiting on the guests. So if you kind of 141 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 1: wanted more privacy or whatever at your dinner party, a 142 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 1: Smorgas board was the way to go. Yeah, that makes sense. 143 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: Keep him out of our hair food. I think it 144 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 1: was a little more of a refined experience and just 145 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:03,840 Speaker 1: go like stuff your face with everything. Yeah, that's that's 146 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: still a big difference between a Swedish Smorgas board in 147 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 1: an American buffet. Yeah, like very well laid out on 148 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 1: like a round table in a specific order that's not 149 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 1: necessarily just an order to make you fill up on 150 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: cheap food first, which we'll get to later, but yeah, 151 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 1: it sounds kind of cool. And then in the nineteen 152 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 1: twelve Stockholm Olympic Games, I think the rest of the 153 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:28,480 Speaker 1: world saw the Smorgas board and it was like, we 154 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 1: need to bring a little piece of that back home 155 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:33,560 Speaker 1: to the good old USA. Yeah, they're like you served 156 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 1: yourself from a table in the same room where you 157 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:38,920 Speaker 1: sit down and eat. This is amazing, And there is 158 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 1: something amazing about it that I still, despite researching and 159 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 1: writing this whole thing, I cannot put my finger on 160 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 1: what it is. But there's just something about buffets or 161 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,880 Speaker 1: smorgas sports, right, So something did capture the world's attention 162 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 1: at that nineteen twelve Olympics, and then in America in particular, 163 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:59,479 Speaker 1: the Smorgas board really got a boost at the ninety 164 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:02,440 Speaker 1: nine World It's fair, Um, that's the one where that 165 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 1: big Globe is over in Flushing, Queens, right, Oh sure, yeah. 166 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: Um so at that one there was a Swedish pavilion 167 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 1: and they had a restaurant there called the Three Crowns Restaurant, 168 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 1: and they put out a real deal Schmorges board and 169 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 1: the Americans just went bonkers for it. And it, as 170 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:20,200 Speaker 1: a matter of fact, they said, just give us a 171 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:21,960 Speaker 1: couple of years, we're going to figure out how to 172 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 1: turn this into basically the most American thing anyone's ever 173 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 1: invented in the history of food service. Right. So from 174 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 1: there we moved to Las Vegas, which is you know, 175 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:35,880 Speaker 1: you can't talk about buffets without talking about Vegas, of course. 176 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 1: And um, early, early on what would become the Las 177 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:46,000 Speaker 1: Vegas Strip, before Benny Siegel even was dreaming of the Flamingo, 178 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 1: was Bugsy Bugsy Seagull, right, yeah, Benny's his real name, 179 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 1: Buggsy was. I was wondering that the way you said it, 180 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 1: I've been correcting you lately and just putting my foot 181 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:58,120 Speaker 1: in my mouth every time. So I came at it 182 00:09:58,559 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: a little more trepidacious. Leave them before. He's definitely more 183 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:06,400 Speaker 1: trepidaciously than the second Jeweyah correction oh, did you get 184 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:09,600 Speaker 1: the super cut of that from the basically exact same 185 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 1: conversation we already had years before. No, I did see 186 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: people mention it les. You gotta hear that. Please? Were 187 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 1: you forward that to me? I gotta yeah, I'll have 188 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 1: to dig it off. It was good stuff. I want 189 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:26,960 Speaker 1: to give him his due to uh so her McDonald 190 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:29,880 Speaker 1: was this guy's name. He was a publicist and he 191 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:31,839 Speaker 1: was kind of one of the very first people to 192 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:35,720 Speaker 1: start working on would become the Vegas Strip. And he's 193 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 1: given credit as the guy that came up with the 194 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:42,440 Speaker 1: his L Rancho Vegas or I guess where he worked 195 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 1: at the l Rancho, which is the first hotel there 196 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:49,840 Speaker 1: on the strip what would become the Las Vegas Buffet. Yeah, 197 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:52,160 Speaker 1: but the legend has that that one night in the 198 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:55,680 Speaker 1: late forties, he was um hungry and he went to 199 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 1: the kitchen and came back with a bunch of cold 200 00:10:57,480 --> 00:10:59,079 Speaker 1: cuts and cheese. Is kind of laid him out to 201 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:01,679 Speaker 1: make himself a sandwich, and some of the gamblers who 202 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:03,240 Speaker 1: were there late at night, we're like, hey, I'm kind 203 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 1: of hungry, can I get some of that? And he thought, huh, 204 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:08,200 Speaker 1: this is not a bad idea. If I lay out 205 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:11,680 Speaker 1: some food that isn't a sit down meal that the 206 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 1: gamblers can serve themselves, they're going to spend more time 207 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:19,680 Speaker 1: here gambling. So maybe I will create what's now known 208 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 1: as the American Buffet. In Las Vegas. The cheap all 209 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 1: you can eat twenty four hour Buffet had its origins 210 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 1: from that little Eureka moment. Yeah, the Midnight chuck Wagon 211 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:32,720 Speaker 1: was the name of the the first deal I guess 212 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:38,319 Speaker 1: at a dollar, and they became known for the twenty 213 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:42,080 Speaker 1: four hour version, which was the Bucaru Buffet, which was 214 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:45,199 Speaker 1: a buck It was a dollar the Buckaroo, of course, 215 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 1: and uh yeah, it's it's I mean it's everyone kind 216 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:53,079 Speaker 1: of knows the history of Vegas and like cheap food, 217 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:57,120 Speaker 1: cheap or free food, and cheaper free drinks and fairly 218 00:11:57,200 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 1: cheaper free rooms. That was sort of the old days. 219 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:02,559 Speaker 1: It's not a cheap, cheap town to visit these days. 220 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:04,480 Speaker 1: I think they still run a lot of deals and 221 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:07,720 Speaker 1: stuff like that because gambling is where they make, you know, 222 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:09,760 Speaker 1: where they want to make most of their money. But 223 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 1: they did wise up at some point and they were like, hey, listen, 224 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:15,680 Speaker 1: we're not just gonna keep giving away steak dinners and stuff. Well, 225 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:18,240 Speaker 1: people started coming for the shows and stuff like that 226 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:21,040 Speaker 1: and weren't necessarily gambling time was if you went to Vegas, 227 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 1: you went and emptied your pockets there so they could 228 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:25,680 Speaker 1: afford to lose money on like the buffet or whatever. 229 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:30,840 Speaker 1: But the Vegas all all you can eat, all night 230 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:34,479 Speaker 1: buffet that started in the late forties and became synonymous 231 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:38,600 Speaker 1: with the town actually kind of lent a bit of 232 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 1: um cash to buffets in general and in the United States. 233 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:47,439 Speaker 1: We'll see like they kind of spread from there. Started 234 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:51,440 Speaker 1: in in Scandinavia, moved to the World's Fair nine, then 235 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:53,440 Speaker 1: to Vegas, and then from Vegas, it just kind of 236 00:12:53,480 --> 00:13:00,360 Speaker 1: spread like um just spider web of I don't like, 237 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:03,840 Speaker 1: I love like apple turnover all a mode. Okay, Yeah, 238 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:06,160 Speaker 1: I thought you were gonna say something like a five 239 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:09,520 Speaker 1: gallon pan of hollandaise sauce. Oh that that is so 240 00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:12,520 Speaker 1: much better than what I said. Man, that was that 241 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 1: was amazing. Chuck. All right, let's take a break and 242 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:18,200 Speaker 1: we're gonna dive into the Golden age. We love golden ages, 243 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:40,840 Speaker 1: the golden age of the buffet right after this, Chuck. Okay, 244 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:44,559 Speaker 1: So there's long been in America restaurants that have been 245 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 1: like all you can eat blank for blank amount of money. Yeah, 246 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 1: we used to do that something, sure. I mean like, 247 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 1: did you ever read a Buffalo's Cafe for wings? Oh? No, 248 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:57,440 Speaker 1: did they have an all you can eat Yeah, but 249 00:13:57,559 --> 00:14:00,320 Speaker 1: it was it was like all you can eat ings 250 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:04,040 Speaker 1: for like say eight or nine or ten dollars or whatever. Right. Yeah, 251 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:07,040 Speaker 1: we went to a place called Rio Vista on Memorial Drive, 252 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 1: which was it was like all you can eat catfish 253 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:11,720 Speaker 1: on Tuesday night. So that kind of thing, right, yeah, yeah, 254 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 1: and that's still very much around. And that apparently is 255 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:18,560 Speaker 1: where the whole the whole idea behind buffets finds its 256 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:21,760 Speaker 1: other footing, it's other origin in the United States. Was 257 00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:24,280 Speaker 1: this these kind of deals that were meant to kind 258 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:26,640 Speaker 1: of generate new business, Like you would go try out 259 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:30,160 Speaker 1: a restaurant. Um, there's this really great site called Restauranting 260 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:34,320 Speaker 1: through History, terrible name, but a great site. And um, 261 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:37,440 Speaker 1: the person who runs the site found this ad for 262 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:43,960 Speaker 1: the City Restaurant in Elyra, Ohio, Yeah, from and it 263 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:46,880 Speaker 1: was all you can eat oyster stew for cents. So 264 00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:49,800 Speaker 1: it had been around for a little while, but when 265 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 1: the depression rolled around all of a sudden, people were like, oh, 266 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 1: all you can eat sounds kind of good because I 267 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:57,520 Speaker 1: haven't eaten in a week and a half and I've 268 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:00,160 Speaker 1: got this whole family who's starving too, so let's go 269 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:03,800 Speaker 1: try this. And they did. Yeah, that surprised me. I 270 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:07,080 Speaker 1: was surprised to see them turn up in the depression, Uh, 271 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:10,320 Speaker 1: just because of value and stuff. But you know, food 272 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 1: prices were low, so I guess they could afford to 273 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 1: charge people fifties or sixty cents or something for all 274 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:20,760 Speaker 1: they well, not all they care to eat. That wasn't 275 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 1: really a thing yet, but people did love it. And 276 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 1: apparently um desserts during the depression era, buffets was really 277 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 1: where they because I guess that was just a rare, 278 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:34,720 Speaker 1: rare treat, so they would really load up on the sweets. Yeah, 279 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:37,480 Speaker 1: they definitely, they definitely would. But it it taught people 280 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:39,760 Speaker 1: who ran restaurants like, wait a minute, wait a minute, 281 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:43,440 Speaker 1: if you order people or if you offer people, you 282 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 1: know what, all they can eat of something like some 283 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 1: people do like over indulge, but a lot of people 284 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:53,280 Speaker 1: just eat like a normal amount, which is weird. And 285 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 1: that kind of gave this like, um confidence, I guess 286 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:00,160 Speaker 1: to restaurant tours to kind of start to move into 287 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:04,000 Speaker 1: the like changing their restaurant entirely over to and all 288 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:07,440 Speaker 1: you can eat set up. Yeah. So, you know, we 289 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:11,680 Speaker 1: go down to the fifties and sixties where legit Chain 290 00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:16,080 Speaker 1: started opening that were you know, very cheap or you know, 291 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:19,040 Speaker 1: let's just say inexpensive buffets. And this is where you 292 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: start to see um, you know, mac and cheese and 293 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:28,240 Speaker 1: carb heavy meals and fried chicken and salads like jello, 294 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:31,480 Speaker 1: you know, the little kind of festive looking jello mold 295 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:36,400 Speaker 1: salads that you're not quite sure what's inside. And then 296 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:41,240 Speaker 1: Chain said, you know what, this morgue board word is 297 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 1: kind of weird, Like, I don't think they were using 298 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:44,720 Speaker 1: the word buffet at all at that point where they 299 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 1: id started around the same time in like the fifties 300 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:52,280 Speaker 1: or sixties, okay, but they were using Smorguese boards sometimes 301 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:57,720 Speaker 1: or smorgy or other variations like smore get or smorga. 302 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:02,160 Speaker 1: And this is when and uh, they kind of started 303 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:07,200 Speaker 1: leaning away from um, these nice round tables of food 304 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:13,480 Speaker 1: to the long sort of cattle style. Yeah. Yeah, I think, 305 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:16,439 Speaker 1: you know, like I said that Vegas buffets kind of 306 00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 1: gave buffets everywhere else in the United States is kind 307 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 1: of cash and part of that was presentation, and that 308 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:26,040 Speaker 1: as more and more chains kind of grew and took 309 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:30,120 Speaker 1: over the whole buffet style food. Um. Yeah, they did 310 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:32,480 Speaker 1: away with the presentation part really quick and just to 311 00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:35,960 Speaker 1: like eat your slop. You know. It was more about 312 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:38,200 Speaker 1: that they'd shove you into lying that kind of thing. 313 00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:42,760 Speaker 1: But the idea, the idea, um, like you said, uh, 314 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:45,199 Speaker 1: Smorgese board was kind of taking off. It seems to 315 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:48,320 Speaker 1: have been like out west and in the Midwest, morege 316 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:51,960 Speaker 1: and all that, but then elsewhere buffet started to come 317 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:55,000 Speaker 1: to be used. So by about the fifties or the sixties, 318 00:17:55,320 --> 00:18:00,719 Speaker 1: you had Smorges and buffet's proliferating across the United States 319 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:06,920 Speaker 1: like a pan of apple turnover all the mode yeah uh. 320 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:09,520 Speaker 1: And that word buffet, you know, comes from the furniture piece, 321 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 1: the French furniture piece. For like we call them sideboards 322 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:15,240 Speaker 1: sometimes it's what we have a couple in our house 323 00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:19,919 Speaker 1: from Emily's grandparents. Um, but people call those buffets as well. 324 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:27,960 Speaker 1: We call them bedspreads. I called them comforters or afghan 325 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,480 Speaker 1: remember those growing up? Did you have afghans in the house. 326 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:33,760 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, they were always too small. It was like, 327 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:39,080 Speaker 1: why did you make this the itchiest way to keep 328 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:41,880 Speaker 1: warm of all time? Probably besides like a wool blanket. 329 00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:44,920 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah. I'm not big on afghans. I like things 330 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:47,760 Speaker 1: to be bigger than that, so softer. I don't know 331 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:53,200 Speaker 1: about small afghans. What's going on there? They were always 332 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:59,800 Speaker 1: just slightly too small. Wouldn't cover from chin to foot? No, no, no, 333 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:02,200 Speaker 1: he never has there been an afghan that has covered 334 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:04,880 Speaker 1: from chinda foot successfully, even if you do the little 335 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 1: diagonal trick. Yes, I've even tried that, and then it's 336 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:11,000 Speaker 1: like too short on the sides, so like my love 337 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:16,199 Speaker 1: handles will be cold. Oh no, get at. The thing 338 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:18,800 Speaker 1: that I remember growing up with is what comes Next, 339 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:21,919 Speaker 1: which was um actually a lot of these, but the 340 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:26,320 Speaker 1: Western steakhouse sort of buffet, which was actually one of them, 341 00:19:26,359 --> 00:19:30,080 Speaker 1: was started by Dan Blocker Of who played Hoss Cartwright 342 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:34,680 Speaker 1: on Bonanza. He started the Ponderosa Steakhouse, which I must 343 00:19:34,720 --> 00:19:37,639 Speaker 1: have known that back then because we went to ponder 344 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:40,680 Speaker 1: Rosa's and Bonanza was the big one. The big one 345 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:43,880 Speaker 1: that we went to Ponderosa was the buffet. I grew 346 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:47,480 Speaker 1: up with two up in Toledo. Yeah, I love those bonanzas. 347 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:49,920 Speaker 1: It's sort of I mean the same company, right, Yeah, 348 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:51,399 Speaker 1: as far as I know, I'm not sure what the 349 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:54,000 Speaker 1: difference was. We didn't have a Bonanza, Like I said, 350 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 1: it was just Toledo. But um, we did have that Ponderosa. 351 00:19:57,520 --> 00:20:01,439 Speaker 1: It was wonderful. What about Sizzler. Sissler we didn't have, 352 00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:03,240 Speaker 1: But I was aware. You know, when you think of 353 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 1: like the steakhouse theme buffets, aware comes to mind. Yeah, 354 00:20:07,119 --> 00:20:10,199 Speaker 1: I was since aware we ever went to Sissler. That 355 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:13,360 Speaker 1: seems like a cut above if I remember correctly. Yeah, 356 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:15,920 Speaker 1: I think it always at the very least positioned itself 357 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:18,919 Speaker 1: if not, was actually a cut above. There's also one 358 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:21,919 Speaker 1: called Chuck a Rama, but I've never heard of. And 359 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 1: then Golden Corral everybody knows about. Um it's been around 360 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:28,840 Speaker 1: since the seventies, and Golden Corral is like the last 361 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:31,520 Speaker 1: man standing. From what I can tell, it's actually doing 362 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:34,720 Speaker 1: rather well. I think there was still one over by 363 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:37,919 Speaker 1: the North and cab Moth. I'm not mistaken. They're everywhere. 364 00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:41,199 Speaker 1: They're still building them now. Yeah, well, but they're not 365 00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:44,920 Speaker 1: everywhere around where I live. I got you, what about 366 00:20:45,359 --> 00:20:47,919 Speaker 1: did you ever go to Western Sizzland because it was 367 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 1: really it was established in AUGUSTUS, so I would guess 368 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:54,520 Speaker 1: you you had been there before. Yeah, I went to 369 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:58,080 Speaker 1: Western Sizzling and then the other big ones uh and 370 00:20:58,119 --> 00:20:59,720 Speaker 1: they are in fact next on the list or when 371 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:04,040 Speaker 1: they went sort of uh farmy homespun. Um. There was 372 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:06,840 Speaker 1: an old country buffet near where I lived, and there 373 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 1: were also Hometown Buffet's Ryan's Grill and then Bakery and Buffet, 374 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:16,479 Speaker 1: all owned by Ovation Brands, which was just pumping out 375 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:20,720 Speaker 1: garbage food to buffets all over the country. Right, Yeah, 376 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:22,960 Speaker 1: you've me said that the worst case of food poisoning 377 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:24,920 Speaker 1: she ever had was the first time she ever tried 378 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:27,719 Speaker 1: a buffet and it was O Ryan's and she just 379 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:30,320 Speaker 1: she can't even say that word, Like she can't even 380 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 1: be friends with somebody named Ryan now because she'll just 381 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 1: get sick at the thought of that. Oh man, she 382 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:38,679 Speaker 1: can't even watch Ryan Gosling or Ryan dal No. I 383 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:40,880 Speaker 1: have to call her, I have to call him Gosling 384 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:44,720 Speaker 1: if I call him anything else. I like and was 385 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:47,080 Speaker 1: a big fan and we as a family as well 386 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:51,960 Speaker 1: of the um of I guess ethnic buffets with we 387 00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:54,399 Speaker 1: didn't do many Mexican ones, but there were definitely Mexican. 388 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:57,280 Speaker 1: There was definitely one we went to sometimes on Sunday 389 00:21:57,280 --> 00:21:59,080 Speaker 1: morning that had I think it was kind of even 390 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:02,679 Speaker 1: before they started calling brunch. But I can't remember the 391 00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:05,400 Speaker 1: name of it. But it had a really nice taco 392 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:08,199 Speaker 1: station and they would make you like a fahita station 393 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:11,160 Speaker 1: and that stuff was so good where you don't remember 394 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:13,440 Speaker 1: the name of it. No, man, I can't remember the name. 395 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:15,680 Speaker 1: I don't think it was Poncho's. I don't think it 396 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:18,720 Speaker 1: was a chain I got you. Weah. We went to 397 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:21,399 Speaker 1: Chee Cheese when I was a kid. I don't remember 398 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:24,640 Speaker 1: being a buffet. Strangely, I don't. I don't know why 399 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 1: I didn't know it was either. Yeah, that's where I 400 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:31,440 Speaker 1: was introduced to the Chimmy Chonga. I'd love to eat 401 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:33,720 Speaker 1: and I'd love to say, but Chee Cheese was like 402 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:38,120 Speaker 1: the Olive Garden of Mexican restaurant, you know what I mean? Yeah, 403 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:41,680 Speaker 1: I think so. I didn't really go to those that much, um, 404 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 1: but we did go to Mongolian Barbecue in the eighties. 405 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:49,120 Speaker 1: There was one another memorial drive near where I live 406 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:51,680 Speaker 1: that you know, that's where you pick out all your 407 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:54,879 Speaker 1: and I can't imagine the health codes because they literally 408 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:57,600 Speaker 1: had like raw meat that you would pick out and 409 00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:00,360 Speaker 1: then hand to a person to cook. Yeah with your 410 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:04,400 Speaker 1: just your your your bare hands cupped filled with withdraw meat. 411 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:08,520 Speaker 1: Was There's a chain called who Hut. It's a Mongolian grill. 412 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:11,320 Speaker 1: It's like make your own stir fry buffet. And they 413 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 1: just their newcomers. They've been around for about twenty years 414 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:16,760 Speaker 1: and they're actually doing rather well as far as buffets 415 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:20,160 Speaker 1: are going. Look good for them. Um. There's also there's 416 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:21,960 Speaker 1: a little bit of history that I found on that 417 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:26,560 Speaker 1: restauranting through History site, um Jan Whittaker's site. Um, she 418 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:28,720 Speaker 1: turned up a couple of gems that I just thought 419 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:32,719 Speaker 1: her you have to mention, um, like that whole Smorgese 420 00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:34,719 Speaker 1: board thing when people were trying to figure out how 421 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:38,920 Speaker 1: to Americanize it. Um, there was a hilarious collision between 422 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 1: ethnicities when like uh an Asian proprietor took over like 423 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:46,800 Speaker 1: a smorgas Border opened a Smorga sport where you would 424 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:51,359 Speaker 1: have like gong Le's Smorgy or Johnny Homs Chuck Wagon 425 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:55,280 Speaker 1: Hoffbrow and Smorgy. I just love that. I think that's 426 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 1: the cutest thing. Ever, I'll bet Johnny hom and Gongli 427 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:02,240 Speaker 1: were very happy, welcoming gentleman, and uh, pizza buffet's was 428 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:05,200 Speaker 1: something we did a lot as well. There was one 429 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:08,639 Speaker 1: called Village in Pizza near Us and I guess it 430 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:10,600 Speaker 1: was could be a kin to like a Shaky's, who 431 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:13,600 Speaker 1: I think is kind of the king of the of 432 00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:17,479 Speaker 1: the pizza buffet. But boy, those pizza buffets I remember 433 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:19,840 Speaker 1: it was like like you always had a plan at 434 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:21,720 Speaker 1: any buffet, like a game plan. You didn't just like 435 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 1: casually eat you. He had a game plan. But those 436 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:28,200 Speaker 1: pizza buffets, I remember people sitting around the restaurant with 437 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:31,840 Speaker 1: like one eye on when they're bringing those pies out, 438 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:37,760 Speaker 1: and it was people would attack it. They would swarm, swarm. Yeah. Yeah, 439 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:40,600 Speaker 1: pizza huts ted buffets for a very long time and 440 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:43,240 Speaker 1: they still do from what I understand. But those it's 441 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:47,879 Speaker 1: the dessert pizzas that are like the bomb. Yeah, I 442 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:50,840 Speaker 1: think keep pizza buffets going. And there was always the 443 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:53,200 Speaker 1: sad pizza too that no one wanted it just sat 444 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:56,600 Speaker 1: and sat. Right. If you're looking for a pizza buffet, 445 00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:59,359 Speaker 1: they have CC's now they're kind of all over the place. 446 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:02,879 Speaker 1: I don't there's this. I think we all need a 447 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:05,199 Speaker 1: pizza buffet once in a while, chuck. But there was 448 00:25:05,240 --> 00:25:08,800 Speaker 1: this site called mashed, which I hadn't heard of, but 449 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:10,480 Speaker 1: they had a lot of good stuff that I ran 450 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:14,080 Speaker 1: across for this article. Um, but they were rating buffets 451 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:16,639 Speaker 1: and they got to see seeds and they said, do 452 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:20,240 Speaker 1: you like eating cardboard? No, then stay away from cecis. 453 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:23,840 Speaker 1: And it was like, that's me. The funny thing is 454 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:26,280 Speaker 1: now as an adult, like I go to New York 455 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:29,359 Speaker 1: and like I'll grab a slice and that is the meal, 456 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:33,480 Speaker 1: all right, and not like I would like nine more 457 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:41,160 Speaker 1: of these and then a dessert one. Yeah. Yeah, it's crazy. Yeah, 458 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:43,800 Speaker 1: but every once in a while it's I don't know, 459 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:47,040 Speaker 1: just going berserk on food. It's kind of there's something 460 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:49,120 Speaker 1: about it. Maybe that's the thing that I couldn't put 461 00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:52,600 Speaker 1: my finger on going berserk on food is the allure 462 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:56,359 Speaker 1: of of buffets. I liked this in high school. My 463 00:25:56,440 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 1: hack for school launch was the salad buffet. Well actually 464 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:02,320 Speaker 1: wasn't a buffet, but it was to build your own 465 00:26:02,320 --> 00:26:04,920 Speaker 1: salad that you might as well have. You know, you 466 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:07,120 Speaker 1: didn't need to go back because I would I would 467 00:26:07,119 --> 00:26:11,000 Speaker 1: build these huge salads just stacked with like ham and 468 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:14,919 Speaker 1: turkey and cheese and bacon bits and very little lettuce 469 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:17,879 Speaker 1: was going on in their croutons and then drench it 470 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:20,600 Speaker 1: with ranch dressing. And that was a really good value 471 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 1: at my high school cafeteria. That's awesome. Yeah, once you 472 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:28,800 Speaker 1: drenched drench it with ranch, it's it's like goodbye nutritional value. Hello. 473 00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:33,359 Speaker 1: But salad buffet's were really big in the eighties and nineties. Yeah, 474 00:26:33,359 --> 00:26:35,440 Speaker 1: they were, you know, people were trying to eat a 475 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:39,240 Speaker 1: little better, and so I think in night the two 476 00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:45,720 Speaker 1: big salad buffet competitors, Super Salad and soup Plantation, and 477 00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:48,600 Speaker 1: soup Plantation also was known as Sweet Tomatoes for a while. 478 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:50,679 Speaker 1: They were both founded in seventy eight, and they had 479 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:52,680 Speaker 1: a pretty good run up until the nineties, and then 480 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:55,280 Speaker 1: people were like, I don't think this is actually very healthy, 481 00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:58,359 Speaker 1: and they said it's never been, and uh, they started 482 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:00,919 Speaker 1: to kind of go away a little bit. Little my 483 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:03,920 Speaker 1: favorite name of all time of those style of restaurants. 484 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:08,240 Speaker 1: I don't know if you remember let Us Surprise You. Yes, yes, 485 00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:11,080 Speaker 1: they were good. I I loved let us Surprise You. 486 00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:14,359 Speaker 1: Actually to all of those Super Salad, super Plantation, I 487 00:27:14,440 --> 00:27:17,040 Speaker 1: mean like there, I like the idea behind them, but 488 00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:21,000 Speaker 1: they're you know, not not actually healthy. No, of course not. 489 00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:25,399 Speaker 1: It's it's like I said, my salad was probably worse 490 00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:27,600 Speaker 1: for you or worse for me than whatever was in 491 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:31,080 Speaker 1: the regular lunch and Big Mac. And speaking of Big Max, 492 00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:33,600 Speaker 1: it turns out, Chuck, I read this really great article 493 00:27:33,840 --> 00:27:38,119 Speaker 1: on Oh I can't remember, maybe Eater, but it was 494 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:41,960 Speaker 1: like this, the history of fast food buffets, and there's 495 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:44,359 Speaker 1: like this whole subculture where all they want to do 496 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:47,920 Speaker 1: is talk about fast food buffets. That's it. And there's 497 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:50,520 Speaker 1: like legendary ones that may or may not have existed, 498 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:53,439 Speaker 1: like McDonald's supposedly had a buffet for a little while, 499 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:57,359 Speaker 1: or Um Taco Bell. But the impression that I have 500 00:27:57,560 --> 00:28:01,360 Speaker 1: is that that might have been like a low um 501 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:07,800 Speaker 1: franchise e trying something outsily. Yeah, just completely lost their 502 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:12,560 Speaker 1: s and they're like serving serving McDonald's or Tago Bell 503 00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:18,640 Speaker 1: buffet style. Well, I was a Wendy's Superbar adherent. Yeah. 504 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:20,920 Speaker 1: I think I've told the story before. For newspaper staff, 505 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:24,200 Speaker 1: you're allowed to check out and go quote unquote sell 506 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:27,280 Speaker 1: ads or take pictures or whatever. So all the newspaper 507 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 1: staff would always hit the superbar near the high school 508 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:36,239 Speaker 1: and eat pasta and a little Mexican taco salad. And 509 00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:39,000 Speaker 1: my favorite thing was they used I don't remember, they 510 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:42,320 Speaker 1: use their hamburger buns. Is the bread, and they would 511 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:45,840 Speaker 1: griddle those hamburger buns, yes, garlic bread. Yeah. It was 512 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:49,160 Speaker 1: so good, It really was. Yeah, because like their their 513 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:52,000 Speaker 1: stuff was legit, Like even their little salad bar was good. 514 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:55,240 Speaker 1: But they had like a big potato bar and the 515 00:28:55,280 --> 00:28:57,400 Speaker 1: whole thing was and it was like three bucks or 516 00:28:57,480 --> 00:29:00,160 Speaker 1: something like that. Although the key here is it is 517 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:02,920 Speaker 1: not all you can eat. And from what I gathered, 518 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:06,160 Speaker 1: that was one of the downfalls of the windows. I 519 00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:10,320 Speaker 1: don't believe it was. I believe one big, fat trip 520 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:13,840 Speaker 1: much as you could fit. That's what that was. That's 521 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:16,720 Speaker 1: my memory, though I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure 522 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:18,960 Speaker 1: that's what it was. And I also saw somewhere that 523 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:20,640 Speaker 1: that was one of the reasons why it went away, 524 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:23,560 Speaker 1: is because they just had so much trouble keeping people 525 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:26,760 Speaker 1: from going back for seconds or thirds or whatever. That 526 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:29,720 Speaker 1: also explains now what, looking back, why I always had 527 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:34,920 Speaker 1: uh pasta and chelato sauce and a baked potato right 528 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:37,760 Speaker 1: exactly because you're like, where can I put this? So 529 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:42,080 Speaker 1: there never you want to take a one more break 530 00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:44,120 Speaker 1: and then come back and talk about how buffets make 531 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:47,400 Speaker 1: any money at all, let's do it. Okay, we'll be 532 00:29:47,480 --> 00:30:09,960 Speaker 1: right back, Okay, Chuck. So there's this thing like the 533 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:12,600 Speaker 1: fact that if if you're a Las Vegas buffet and 534 00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:15,000 Speaker 1: you're offering things for cheap, you're actually losing money. It 535 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:18,120 Speaker 1: kind of shows you. It points out that buffets have 536 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:22,680 Speaker 1: a really narrow profit margin. Apparently restaurants have, you know, 537 00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:25,920 Speaker 1: one of the narrowest profit margins of any industry. But 538 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:29,680 Speaker 1: then the buffets are the narrowest of the narrow, like 539 00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:33,200 Speaker 1: they really have trouble making money, and so um. There's 540 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:39,000 Speaker 1: actually a an entire economic theory called adverse selection that 541 00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:42,120 Speaker 1: predicts that buffets just shouldn't exist, and yet they do 542 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:45,680 Speaker 1: in the face of economic theory. Yeah, so this is interesting. 543 00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:49,920 Speaker 1: Adverse selection basically is, uh, if you have a case 544 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:52,640 Speaker 1: where a buyer has more information than the seller does, 545 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:56,160 Speaker 1: you're going to be in a distinct advantage is the buyer. 546 00:30:56,600 --> 00:30:58,920 Speaker 1: So the seller is going to set their price at 547 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:02,120 Speaker 1: a price point it's uh low enough to attract the 548 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:05,840 Speaker 1: worst customer they can get high enough to not uh 549 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:09,080 Speaker 1: to high enough to chase away the really good customer, 550 00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:12,840 Speaker 1: which I guess in this case would be a really 551 00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:16,680 Speaker 1: heavy eater. So the the good customer to the buffet 552 00:31:17,280 --> 00:31:20,600 Speaker 1: low capacity and the low capacity eater. And it basically 553 00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:23,360 Speaker 1: means you're you're not going to be in business very long, Yeah, 554 00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:26,920 Speaker 1: because you're gonna set your price high enough that, um, 555 00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:29,760 Speaker 1: the low capacity eater is gonna be like, this isn't 556 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:32,120 Speaker 1: worth it. I don't eat enough to justify paying this. 557 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:34,600 Speaker 1: But you're it's going to be low enough so that 558 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:38,360 Speaker 1: a high capacity eater with a huge empty belly is 559 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:40,760 Speaker 1: going to say, oh, that's a great value. So you're 560 00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:44,080 Speaker 1: going to attract nothing but high capacity eaters and your 561 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:46,600 Speaker 1: your Yeah, your business is just gonna go away. And 562 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:50,720 Speaker 1: yet buffets still managed to persist despite that very logical 563 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:54,120 Speaker 1: economic theory predicting that they shouldn't. And it turns out 564 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:56,320 Speaker 1: there when you start digging around in the business of 565 00:31:56,400 --> 00:31:59,440 Speaker 1: buffets that there's a lot of like tricks that they 566 00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:02,280 Speaker 1: use the you don't find elsewhere in the restaurant industry 567 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:06,600 Speaker 1: to kind of protect that very razor thin profit margin 568 00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:10,680 Speaker 1: anyway they possibly can. Yeah, and you know, Obviously, if 569 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:13,480 Speaker 1: you're looking at a buffet and how they made or 570 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:17,640 Speaker 1: make money, Um, the family unit is a really big 571 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:21,160 Speaker 1: deal because and I know it's it's very sort of 572 00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:24,720 Speaker 1: lazy and reductive to paint it in such a kind 573 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:28,480 Speaker 1: of a King of queensyan way, but that's how buffet 574 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:32,680 Speaker 1: runners and managers and restaurateurs looked at it. Was You've 575 00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:34,760 Speaker 1: got this big hoss of a father that's like, I 576 00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:37,160 Speaker 1: need to eat at a buffet tonight, and this like 577 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:39,400 Speaker 1: diminutive little wife is just like, well I don't eat 578 00:32:39,480 --> 00:32:41,600 Speaker 1: very much, and the kids are like, well I love 579 00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:44,880 Speaker 1: the dessert. So the only one in that family is 580 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:47,760 Speaker 1: that's really putting a hurting on the buffet is is 581 00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:51,600 Speaker 1: the dad. Kevin James. Kevin James. And again, this is 582 00:32:51,640 --> 00:32:54,480 Speaker 1: not how we look at things. It is super lazy, 583 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:57,800 Speaker 1: but if you're talking about the buffet industry, that's exactly 584 00:32:57,800 --> 00:32:59,920 Speaker 1: how they looked at it. Yeah, I mean, like all 585 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:02,360 Speaker 1: of those cliches about like oh gosh, here comes a 586 00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:06,040 Speaker 1: football team or something like that, that's that's actually like 587 00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:10,640 Speaker 1: part of the buffet industry. They worry about stuff like yeah, 588 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:14,680 Speaker 1: so um some ways that they try to balance out 589 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:17,400 Speaker 1: that there find that balance between low capacity and high 590 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:21,960 Speaker 1: capacity eaters UM or to to kind of protect their 591 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:24,600 Speaker 1: their profit margin in the face of you know, more 592 00:33:24,760 --> 00:33:28,160 Speaker 1: high capacity eaters than low capacity eaters. In one way, 593 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:30,640 Speaker 1: they'll just straight up kind of fly in the face 594 00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:37,800 Speaker 1: of established all you can eat ethos, which is all 595 00:33:37,880 --> 00:33:42,120 Speaker 1: you can eat, no strings attached. Um. And some restaurants say, 596 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:44,400 Speaker 1: you know what, now, we're not going to do that. UM, 597 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:49,240 Speaker 1: We're going to basically use nudge uh nudge psychology to 598 00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:52,240 Speaker 1: kind of get you to to um, not be wasteful, 599 00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:54,400 Speaker 1: to be a little more mindful, because it's kind of 600 00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:56,840 Speaker 1: part and parcel with going to a buffet is being like, 601 00:33:57,080 --> 00:34:00,360 Speaker 1: I don't have to use my brain at all for 602 00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:03,520 Speaker 1: the next hour that I'm going to this buffet. And 603 00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:06,480 Speaker 1: so they'll they'll try to do things like, um, they'll 604 00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:09,240 Speaker 1: say like take all you want, eat all you take. 605 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:11,879 Speaker 1: Is a very common sign you'll see. And in fact, 606 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:15,239 Speaker 1: Chuck um I mentioned this, uh, this restaurant called Grandpa's 607 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:18,840 Speaker 1: down in Cocoa, Florida. It's a it's in a train, 608 00:34:19,160 --> 00:34:21,480 Speaker 1: which is just that in and of itself, is worth 609 00:34:21,680 --> 00:34:24,440 Speaker 1: going to write. But they have a salad bar and 610 00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:27,799 Speaker 1: on their salad bar has signed that says if if 611 00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:31,160 Speaker 1: you waste food, or if the waiter or server determines 612 00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:34,120 Speaker 1: you have wasted food from your trip to the salad 613 00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:37,520 Speaker 1: bar you haven't eaten enough, um, you'll be charged two dollars. 614 00:34:37,600 --> 00:34:39,520 Speaker 1: Is a two dollar charge for wasting food from the 615 00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:43,240 Speaker 1: salad bar. And I can't tell you how many um 616 00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:45,800 Speaker 1: arguments you mean. And I have seen between like old 617 00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:49,080 Speaker 1: couples about whether or not that they're going to get 618 00:34:49,160 --> 00:34:52,160 Speaker 1: charged that two dollars because the husband or the wife 619 00:34:52,160 --> 00:34:54,560 Speaker 1: didn't eat enough of the salad from the salad bar. 620 00:34:54,840 --> 00:34:57,560 Speaker 1: We know how that ends. It's it's like, is it 621 00:34:57,640 --> 00:35:02,640 Speaker 1: buffet's weren't gluttonous enough? That end with some old man saying, 622 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:06,799 Speaker 1: oh yeah, watch this, shoving whatever food is on that 623 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:08,800 Speaker 1: plate down his throat right in front of the manager. 624 00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:12,440 Speaker 1: YEA many other places to do that too. I've heard 625 00:35:12,520 --> 00:35:15,400 Speaker 1: plenty of places when I was a kid that supposedly, 626 00:35:15,560 --> 00:35:17,960 Speaker 1: like the rumor is, I don't think I ever saw 627 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:21,320 Speaker 1: it happen, but they would charge you for wasted food. Yeah, 628 00:35:21,440 --> 00:35:24,799 Speaker 1: I don't know if they actually do. I think it's 629 00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:27,480 Speaker 1: just a threat. Yeah, you know, it's kind of like 630 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:29,759 Speaker 1: a mandatory mask policy. They're not going to put you 631 00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:31,600 Speaker 1: in jail for not wearing a mask, but the fact 632 00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:34,640 Speaker 1: that it exists is going to make more people go 633 00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:38,520 Speaker 1: ahead and do it than otherwise would. Yeah. Another trick 634 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:42,000 Speaker 1: they um will lay on you is to not clear 635 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:45,799 Speaker 1: your plates away, because I guess they there is real 636 00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:49,400 Speaker 1: research that says that people are um not prone to 637 00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:52,680 Speaker 1: go up for more food if there's like three sort 638 00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:55,520 Speaker 1: of half eaten, dirty plates sitting and sitting in front 639 00:35:55,520 --> 00:35:58,160 Speaker 1: of them. I guess that the shame accumulation keeps them 640 00:35:58,160 --> 00:36:01,080 Speaker 1: from coming back. Yeah, that happened to me. I realized 641 00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:03,160 Speaker 1: I've been a target of that kind of harassment now 642 00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:06,240 Speaker 1: that I've done this research, Okay, I had no idea, 643 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:10,280 Speaker 1: and now I'm a little bitter about it. I mentioned 644 00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:13,680 Speaker 1: earlier about the front loading it with carbs, and that 645 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:16,960 Speaker 1: is true. They have done studies that show that. Um, 646 00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:19,880 Speaker 1: I think Cornell University. I don't know why they did this, 647 00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:23,560 Speaker 1: but they have a huge like food like food industry program, 648 00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:27,200 Speaker 1: the national leader in it. All Right, I'm glad you 649 00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:28,680 Speaker 1: said that, because I thought it was a strange thing 650 00:36:28,719 --> 00:36:32,759 Speaker 1: to study. But people in a in a buffet line 651 00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:35,880 Speaker 1: they found got the first thing in the line no 652 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:38,480 Speaker 1: matter what it was. And so the idea is that 653 00:36:38,560 --> 00:36:41,640 Speaker 1: you put like if it's a Chinese buffet, that's where 654 00:36:41,640 --> 00:36:44,400 Speaker 1: you would put the fried rice or old country buffet 655 00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:47,240 Speaker 1: is that's where you put the mashed potatoes and gravy maybe, 656 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:49,719 Speaker 1: and you know, you want them to fill up on 657 00:36:49,719 --> 00:36:51,759 Speaker 1: that stuff and by the time they get to the 658 00:36:51,760 --> 00:36:54,440 Speaker 1: the real high dollar amount, which is like the bagged 659 00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:58,759 Speaker 1: beef that's we're gonna talk about in a minute, that 660 00:36:58,880 --> 00:37:02,239 Speaker 1: you're not as hungry. Yeah, that that same study, I 661 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:04,719 Speaker 1: believe found that two thirds of the stuff that that 662 00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:07,879 Speaker 1: is on the plate after you've made you know, year 663 00:37:07,960 --> 00:37:11,520 Speaker 1: rounds on the buffet where the first things that you encountered, 664 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:13,880 Speaker 1: like you just go up and you start behaving in 665 00:37:13,920 --> 00:37:17,000 Speaker 1: this really predictable way. So you know, buffets protect their 666 00:37:17,080 --> 00:37:20,080 Speaker 1: their bottom line by catering to that. Um. They also 667 00:37:20,520 --> 00:37:22,719 Speaker 1: like if you ever noticed, um, when you go to 668 00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:25,239 Speaker 1: a buffet, it's like five nine, but then when you 669 00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:28,680 Speaker 1: go to check out, it's like, because your coke, your 670 00:37:28,719 --> 00:37:32,840 Speaker 1: fountain coke, was five dollars um, that fountain coke costs 671 00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:36,120 Speaker 1: them next and nothing. So to make five dollars on 672 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:38,800 Speaker 1: it is a really good way to boost their profits 673 00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:41,879 Speaker 1: where they are otherwise losing it, you know, hemorrhaging money 674 00:37:41,520 --> 00:37:46,080 Speaker 1: that we drink water. Yeah, so I've read some stuff 675 00:37:46,080 --> 00:37:49,719 Speaker 1: about people getting kicked out of buffets, which we'll talk 676 00:37:49,719 --> 00:37:52,319 Speaker 1: about in a second. But um, some buffets are like, 677 00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:55,719 Speaker 1: we don't serve tap water, Like sorry, you have to 678 00:37:55,760 --> 00:37:58,600 Speaker 1: pay for your for a drink, no matter what it is. 679 00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:01,920 Speaker 1: They also have to their price point with pricing it 680 00:38:01,960 --> 00:38:05,520 Speaker 1: too low so that people don't think they're eating garbage food. 681 00:38:05,719 --> 00:38:08,920 Speaker 1: So they've done studies on that. And a pizza buffet 682 00:38:09,600 --> 00:38:12,719 Speaker 1: for four dollars, I think people who paid the four 683 00:38:12,760 --> 00:38:17,360 Speaker 1: dollars considered the food eleven percent less good or desirable 684 00:38:17,400 --> 00:38:20,400 Speaker 1: than people that paid literally twice as much, paid eight dollars, 685 00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:24,799 Speaker 1: even though the food was the same. Yeah, double digit difference. Yeah, 686 00:38:24,840 --> 00:38:26,719 Speaker 1: and you know, I guess I might as well say 687 00:38:26,719 --> 00:38:29,320 Speaker 1: it here. I worked on a job as a food stylist, 688 00:38:30,040 --> 00:38:32,239 Speaker 1: not as the food stylist, but when you're a p 689 00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:34,919 Speaker 1: a sometimes they would just say, hey, food styling needs 690 00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:37,040 Speaker 1: you for this whole job. Just go be one of them. 691 00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:39,560 Speaker 1: And I did that for a job on a an 692 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:45,000 Speaker 1: unnamed major chain. Um, you know, it's sort of one 693 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:48,840 Speaker 1: of those bar restaurants, is all I'll say. And literally 694 00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:53,720 Speaker 1: every single thing on the menu comes bagged and most 695 00:38:53,760 --> 00:38:57,080 Speaker 1: of it comes pre cooked. Yeah, that's why like a 696 00:38:57,120 --> 00:39:00,760 Speaker 1: lot of restaurants will say we're a scrap at kitchen 697 00:39:00,880 --> 00:39:03,480 Speaker 1: because they're saying, like, we don't use Cisco, Like we 698 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:07,080 Speaker 1: actually use ingredients that you would use at home. But yeah, 699 00:39:07,160 --> 00:39:10,160 Speaker 1: there's so many restaurants just use Cisco or some other 700 00:39:10,200 --> 00:39:13,080 Speaker 1: food service where all that stuff is pre cooked by 701 00:39:13,120 --> 00:39:15,799 Speaker 1: Cisco and it just shows up in bags and your 702 00:39:15,880 --> 00:39:17,840 Speaker 1: job as the cook is to put it together and 703 00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:20,200 Speaker 1: heat it up, and then that's what you do. That's 704 00:39:20,200 --> 00:39:23,719 Speaker 1: actually one way that buffets save money is by not 705 00:39:23,880 --> 00:39:27,239 Speaker 1: having to employ actual chefs or cooks. And they also 706 00:39:27,480 --> 00:39:30,640 Speaker 1: have to employ far fewer weight staff because you know, 707 00:39:30,680 --> 00:39:32,520 Speaker 1: they're just coming over to make sure your drink is 708 00:39:32,560 --> 00:39:36,520 Speaker 1: refilled or something like that. They need way fewer people 709 00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:39,960 Speaker 1: because you're serving yourself, which saves them money. And then 710 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:42,560 Speaker 1: there's one other trick that kind of falls in a 711 00:39:42,560 --> 00:39:46,160 Speaker 1: little bit with them that you know, take all you want, 712 00:39:46,200 --> 00:39:49,440 Speaker 1: eat all you take kind of sign. And apparently Sizzler 713 00:39:49,520 --> 00:39:52,480 Speaker 1: led the charge on this that whole all you can 714 00:39:52,719 --> 00:39:56,160 Speaker 1: eat idea if you stop and think about it. It 715 00:39:56,200 --> 00:39:59,120 Speaker 1: sounds a lot like a challenge some like, you know, 716 00:39:59,160 --> 00:40:03,160 Speaker 1: the reptilian part of your brain takes it that way. Um. 717 00:40:03,200 --> 00:40:06,719 Speaker 1: And so yeah, yeah, and so Sizzler said, well, we're 718 00:40:06,719 --> 00:40:09,080 Speaker 1: going to change that to All you Care to Eat, 719 00:40:09,520 --> 00:40:11,960 Speaker 1: which is much more genteel and is much less of 720 00:40:12,040 --> 00:40:15,520 Speaker 1: a it's much less hostile or aggressive sounding. Um. And 721 00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:18,120 Speaker 1: it never took off, obviously, but you can still see that. 722 00:40:18,160 --> 00:40:19,719 Speaker 1: Every once in a while you'll see from like a 723 00:40:20,239 --> 00:40:23,000 Speaker 1: buffet sign or something like then you're like, oh, that's 724 00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:26,719 Speaker 1: a fancy buffet. Yeah. There's another place here. I can't 725 00:40:26,719 --> 00:40:30,239 Speaker 1: remember the name of it. I think Jason's Deli that 726 00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:32,200 Speaker 1: I think they've got like a salad bar and a 727 00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:36,160 Speaker 1: dessert bar, but you also order, uh, sort of the 728 00:40:36,160 --> 00:40:38,640 Speaker 1: main portion of your meal and like soup and salad 729 00:40:38,640 --> 00:40:41,319 Speaker 1: and dessert can come with it though, right Yeah, And 730 00:40:41,360 --> 00:40:44,120 Speaker 1: it's so good. I love Jason's Delly. It's a good stuff. 731 00:40:44,760 --> 00:40:47,240 Speaker 1: It is. I mean, it's a it's a big honkin 732 00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:52,840 Speaker 1: salad bar and soft service cream chocolate vanilla and swirl um. 733 00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:55,239 Speaker 1: They have they have this really great look kind of 734 00:40:55,280 --> 00:41:00,480 Speaker 1: like um molasses bread like it's it's really chucky is 735 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:02,800 Speaker 1: you could check it out and their sandwiches and soups 736 00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:06,320 Speaker 1: are pretty good to you. All right. Um, so problem customers, 737 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:09,080 Speaker 1: you know, we've talked about people that would stuff food 738 00:41:09,239 --> 00:41:11,400 Speaker 1: in there, Like they would come in with like the 739 00:41:11,440 --> 00:41:14,719 Speaker 1: zip blocks ready to go inside the purse, or they 740 00:41:14,760 --> 00:41:19,920 Speaker 1: have like special plastic pouches in their coats. Uh. In Britain, Um, 741 00:41:20,160 --> 00:41:23,480 Speaker 1: there were people at this one place buffet called Gobie 742 00:41:24,120 --> 00:41:28,360 Speaker 1: in Brighton in Britain. Uh. They were banned for life 743 00:41:28,400 --> 00:41:30,879 Speaker 1: in and they made the news. They're like, you can't 744 00:41:30,920 --> 00:41:34,560 Speaker 1: come back here anymore. They did. Um, and I read this, uh, 745 00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:37,799 Speaker 1: this Business Insider article where this person was like, oh man, 746 00:41:37,880 --> 00:41:39,560 Speaker 1: you know, I wonder how easy it is to get 747 00:41:39,640 --> 00:41:42,000 Speaker 1: kicked out of a buffet. So they went to a 748 00:41:42,040 --> 00:41:46,399 Speaker 1: different buffet called Mr Woos and um, they said they 749 00:41:46,440 --> 00:41:49,600 Speaker 1: tried so hard to get kicked out and um, just 750 00:41:49,760 --> 00:41:52,040 Speaker 1: eating and eating and eating that they were basically crawling 751 00:41:52,080 --> 00:41:54,319 Speaker 1: out when they finally left, and they finally asked the 752 00:41:54,360 --> 00:41:55,719 Speaker 1: manager like what do you have to do to get 753 00:41:55,760 --> 00:41:58,319 Speaker 1: kicked out? And the Mr Bob managers like, we would 754 00:41:58,360 --> 00:42:00,480 Speaker 1: never kick anybody out. It says all you can eat, 755 00:42:00,520 --> 00:42:03,000 Speaker 1: you know, you eat as much as you like, and uh, 756 00:42:03,120 --> 00:42:04,920 Speaker 1: they're like, Okay, I wish I would have wish I 757 00:42:04,960 --> 00:42:07,360 Speaker 1: would have gone to a different place to try to 758 00:42:07,360 --> 00:42:09,280 Speaker 1: get kicked out, because it sounded like they really paid 759 00:42:09,280 --> 00:42:11,840 Speaker 1: the price for it. I also like the story in 760 00:42:12,239 --> 00:42:15,200 Speaker 1: from the Chuck a Rama when in two thousand four 761 00:42:15,280 --> 00:42:18,320 Speaker 1: a couple that was on Atkins were kicked out because 762 00:42:18,360 --> 00:42:21,160 Speaker 1: they went to the carving station twelve times and they 763 00:42:21,200 --> 00:42:22,759 Speaker 1: were just loading up on meat and they were like, 764 00:42:22,760 --> 00:42:26,440 Speaker 1: you can't do it. That's the most expensive thing here, right, Yeah. 765 00:42:26,600 --> 00:42:29,719 Speaker 1: So the restaurant was like they had to issue a 766 00:42:29,760 --> 00:42:33,200 Speaker 1: statement because apparently the position was we're a buffet, but 767 00:42:33,239 --> 00:42:36,080 Speaker 1: we're not all you can eat, and there it's like 768 00:42:36,120 --> 00:42:39,239 Speaker 1: basically a contradiction in terms, you have no business owning 769 00:42:39,280 --> 00:42:41,239 Speaker 1: a buffet if it's not all you can eat, you know, 770 00:42:41,760 --> 00:42:44,800 Speaker 1: look it up. So um, and that's actually a pretty 771 00:42:44,800 --> 00:42:47,840 Speaker 1: fairly routine thing, Like you can get kicked out of 772 00:42:47,880 --> 00:42:51,520 Speaker 1: a buffet pretty easily, and if it's particularly agreed, just 773 00:42:51,560 --> 00:42:55,080 Speaker 1: your your band for life. Um. I'm realizing now that 774 00:42:55,120 --> 00:42:57,040 Speaker 1: you by has a lot of buffet stories for somebody 775 00:42:57,080 --> 00:42:59,760 Speaker 1: who doesn't like buffets. But um, she lived in Japan, 776 00:42:59,840 --> 00:43:02,040 Speaker 1: for a while and she and our friend Ramy who 777 00:43:02,120 --> 00:43:05,880 Speaker 1: she met there. Um, he is a big, strapping dude 778 00:43:06,320 --> 00:43:10,520 Speaker 1: and he actually got I believe, banned from a Japanese 779 00:43:10,520 --> 00:43:13,400 Speaker 1: sushi buffet because he would show up. It's like this, 780 00:43:13,400 --> 00:43:15,799 Speaker 1: This poor couple who own this restaurant would just be like, 781 00:43:15,880 --> 00:43:18,839 Speaker 1: please please, sir, no, please stop going back to get 782 00:43:18,840 --> 00:43:21,040 Speaker 1: more food. But I could do some damage at a 783 00:43:21,040 --> 00:43:25,319 Speaker 1: sushi buffet for sure. Yes, yes, yeah I could too. 784 00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:29,120 Speaker 1: Uh So, now the dark side of buffet's I mean 785 00:43:29,160 --> 00:43:31,080 Speaker 1: a lot of this has been dark. Yet we're I'm 786 00:43:31,120 --> 00:43:36,080 Speaker 1: salivating somehow. Still our buffet's gross. Is how you titled 787 00:43:36,080 --> 00:43:38,719 Speaker 1: this next section, And the one sentence you have is 788 00:43:39,239 --> 00:43:43,480 Speaker 1: that answer is resounding. Yes, it's true. It's it's gross. 789 00:43:43,560 --> 00:43:47,680 Speaker 1: You know, when you're sharing utensils, your your food or 790 00:43:47,719 --> 00:43:50,120 Speaker 1: your body, grums are gonna be all over that when 791 00:43:50,200 --> 00:43:54,120 Speaker 1: that that those tongs fall in the in the in 792 00:43:54,160 --> 00:43:57,640 Speaker 1: the meat and gravy, and the guy behind you just 793 00:43:57,680 --> 00:43:59,960 Speaker 1: picks him right on up and they may be wipe 794 00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:03,520 Speaker 1: them off of the paper napkin like who who who 795 00:44:03,680 --> 00:44:06,600 Speaker 1: calls someone over and says, sir, the tongs fell in here. 796 00:44:07,120 --> 00:44:10,320 Speaker 1: That's what you're advised to do. If you're of a buffet, 797 00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:11,920 Speaker 1: that's what you're supposed to do. If there's tongs in 798 00:44:11,960 --> 00:44:14,640 Speaker 1: the in the food, that food is toast. It should 799 00:44:14,640 --> 00:44:17,799 Speaker 1: not be served anymore because Mr poop hands, who just 800 00:44:17,840 --> 00:44:20,680 Speaker 1: touched the tongs lasting is threw it into the surfried beef, 801 00:44:21,000 --> 00:44:23,880 Speaker 1: has now corrupted the entire pan of stir fried beef. 802 00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:26,120 Speaker 1: But you don't want to wait on the stir fried beef, 803 00:44:26,200 --> 00:44:28,000 Speaker 1: so you just get it and wipe it off and 804 00:44:28,360 --> 00:44:32,000 Speaker 1: use it. I mean, that's why. That's why buffet patrons 805 00:44:32,080 --> 00:44:36,680 Speaker 1: tend to be more rugged than the average restaurant cover. Uh, 806 00:44:36,719 --> 00:44:39,719 Speaker 1: it's also gross because that food is just sitting out 807 00:44:39,719 --> 00:44:43,640 Speaker 1: there for a long time. Sometimes it's just dangerous. It's dangerous. 808 00:44:43,680 --> 00:44:45,560 Speaker 1: They try to do what they can with ice and 809 00:44:45,560 --> 00:44:49,239 Speaker 1: and schafing dishes and steamer tables, but you know, let's 810 00:44:49,239 --> 00:44:51,520 Speaker 1: get real. Some of that stuff is well out of 811 00:44:51,560 --> 00:44:55,200 Speaker 1: the required temperature range. Yeah, and so that ranges forty 812 00:44:55,239 --> 00:44:58,040 Speaker 1: degrees fair height to a hundred and forty degrees heighten. 813 00:44:58,080 --> 00:45:02,800 Speaker 1: Anything in that hundred degree window um is is fair 814 00:45:02,800 --> 00:45:06,080 Speaker 1: game for things like e coli and shigella and sam 815 00:45:06,120 --> 00:45:10,640 Speaker 1: and ella to grow and apparently the most prolific bacteria 816 00:45:10,719 --> 00:45:14,040 Speaker 1: can double in population size in twenty minutes within that 817 00:45:14,080 --> 00:45:17,920 Speaker 1: temperature range. So it's I mean, it's actually it's not 818 00:45:18,040 --> 00:45:20,960 Speaker 1: just gross, it's kind of dangerous. Like if you read 819 00:45:21,840 --> 00:45:24,799 Speaker 1: I mean, these don't get published very frequently beyond like 820 00:45:24,920 --> 00:45:27,960 Speaker 1: local areas, so you would have to do some research. 821 00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:30,880 Speaker 1: But if you just look up, um, you know, food 822 00:45:30,880 --> 00:45:34,799 Speaker 1: poisoning and buffets on Google, you're going to find that 823 00:45:34,840 --> 00:45:37,800 Speaker 1: it happens a lot because you're gonna be able to 824 00:45:37,840 --> 00:45:41,480 Speaker 1: search a bunch of small towns and cities papers all 825 00:45:41,520 --> 00:45:43,799 Speaker 1: at once, and it seems like it happens quite a bit. 826 00:45:43,880 --> 00:45:48,799 Speaker 1: And that's why, Yeah, we all need to pay. We 827 00:45:48,840 --> 00:45:51,520 Speaker 1: all owe a debt to Johnny garn Now. He is 828 00:45:51,560 --> 00:45:57,160 Speaker 1: the restaurateur and germophobe who in nineteen fifty nine patented 829 00:45:57,160 --> 00:46:00,480 Speaker 1: the sneeze guard. It was known as the food service 830 00:46:00,520 --> 00:46:04,200 Speaker 1: table at the time. But those sneeze guards, they went 831 00:46:04,280 --> 00:46:08,720 Speaker 1: from not there at all too. They're everywhere and required 832 00:46:08,719 --> 00:46:12,440 Speaker 1: by law now over the course of you know, forty years. 833 00:46:12,480 --> 00:46:15,239 Speaker 1: I remember by the time we were kids, they were 834 00:46:15,280 --> 00:46:19,080 Speaker 1: pretty much in play unless he went to maybe went out, 835 00:46:19,200 --> 00:46:20,440 Speaker 1: you know, if you went to a buffet that was 836 00:46:20,480 --> 00:46:22,680 Speaker 1: a little more rural area. It might be kind of 837 00:46:22,680 --> 00:46:27,799 Speaker 1: wide open, but I remember they're usually always being sneeze guards. Yeah, yeah, 838 00:46:27,840 --> 00:46:30,800 Speaker 1: I mean, it's definitely like law. And now I'm speaking 839 00:46:30,800 --> 00:46:32,879 Speaker 1: of law. By the way, I forgot to mention with 840 00:46:32,920 --> 00:46:37,680 Speaker 1: those um utensils, that shared utensils that buffet patrons serve 841 00:46:37,800 --> 00:46:41,839 Speaker 1: themselves with, there's no law regarding how long those can 842 00:46:41,880 --> 00:46:44,480 Speaker 1: stay out and how long they have to be or 843 00:46:44,480 --> 00:46:47,399 Speaker 1: how often they have to be replaced. By the way, Yeah, 844 00:46:47,440 --> 00:46:50,919 Speaker 1: it does not surprise me. So um yeah, God bless 845 00:46:51,000 --> 00:46:53,640 Speaker 1: Johnny Garnol, who was like, this is just gross, but 846 00:46:53,719 --> 00:46:55,560 Speaker 1: this is the business I'm in, so let me try 847 00:46:55,640 --> 00:46:57,839 Speaker 1: to improve it however I can, and he came up 848 00:46:57,840 --> 00:47:01,840 Speaker 1: with a sneeze guard. Food waste is obviously a big problem, 849 00:47:01,960 --> 00:47:04,600 Speaker 1: uh if you are in Ovation Brands, a big, big 850 00:47:04,600 --> 00:47:08,600 Speaker 1: company with lots of uh buffets. They I think they 851 00:47:08,680 --> 00:47:11,440 Speaker 1: UM filed for bankruptcy in sixteen, but they had three 852 00:47:11,880 --> 00:47:18,120 Speaker 1: thirty buffets nationwide. They had real computer modeling and data 853 00:47:18,640 --> 00:47:23,400 Speaker 1: data driven insight into exactly what to bring out and 854 00:47:23,440 --> 00:47:25,239 Speaker 1: when to bring it out, and how to really cut 855 00:47:25,280 --> 00:47:27,520 Speaker 1: down on that food waste, because that's that's a big 856 00:47:27,520 --> 00:47:29,880 Speaker 1: cost for them. Not only is it just wasteful and 857 00:47:29,960 --> 00:47:33,080 Speaker 1: terrible to throw big pans of food away, but that's, 858 00:47:33,160 --> 00:47:35,440 Speaker 1: like you said, the margins are so thin. They have 859 00:47:35,560 --> 00:47:39,080 Speaker 1: to do everything they can, including computer modeling, to really 860 00:47:39,480 --> 00:47:41,879 Speaker 1: see if they can get that down to the very 861 00:47:42,640 --> 00:47:45,839 Speaker 1: uh I guess minimum amount. Yeah, and like they had 862 00:47:45,880 --> 00:47:48,719 Speaker 1: it down to a science man like they knew to 863 00:47:48,920 --> 00:47:53,279 Speaker 1: the store, like based on that locations data, what food 864 00:47:53,360 --> 00:47:55,440 Speaker 1: they should put out, at what time and in what 865 00:47:55,560 --> 00:47:57,640 Speaker 1: amounts to try to cut down on food waste as 866 00:47:57,680 --> 00:48:00,920 Speaker 1: much as possible, which is pretty impressive. But despite that, 867 00:48:00,960 --> 00:48:04,479 Speaker 1: they still found that between five and of every pan 868 00:48:04,880 --> 00:48:08,600 Speaker 1: of food, including apple pie, all the mode was going 869 00:48:08,640 --> 00:48:11,640 Speaker 1: to waste um and there's just nothing they could do 870 00:48:11,680 --> 00:48:13,960 Speaker 1: about it. And from what I could tell, that doesn't 871 00:48:14,000 --> 00:48:17,640 Speaker 1: take into account the waste that was being sloughed off 872 00:48:17,680 --> 00:48:20,520 Speaker 1: of like the customers plates who took all they wanted 873 00:48:20,600 --> 00:48:25,000 Speaker 1: but did not eat all they took it. I'm trying 874 00:48:25,040 --> 00:48:28,040 Speaker 1: to think of those phone calls about this computer modeling, 875 00:48:28,040 --> 00:48:31,560 Speaker 1: you know, and like restaurant managers arguing with corporate. I'm 876 00:48:31,560 --> 00:48:34,759 Speaker 1: telling you, Frank, Buffalo doesn't move salisbury steak after two. 877 00:48:34,920 --> 00:48:38,560 Speaker 1: They just don't stop putting it out. Just face it. 878 00:48:39,400 --> 00:48:43,600 Speaker 1: I love who when people say face it, face it, 879 00:48:44,360 --> 00:48:48,280 Speaker 1: face it. They can't move salisbury steak, frank uh. So 880 00:48:48,680 --> 00:48:51,640 Speaker 1: some places are allowed and some communities are allowed to 881 00:48:52,800 --> 00:48:56,919 Speaker 1: pick up this food for people who need food. But 882 00:48:57,160 --> 00:49:01,240 Speaker 1: you know, I think that's probably kind of rare. We 883 00:49:01,239 --> 00:49:03,239 Speaker 1: we talked about that, and that was that dude in 884 00:49:03,239 --> 00:49:07,040 Speaker 1: that dumpster episode about gleaning. Um. But there are communities 885 00:49:07,080 --> 00:49:10,080 Speaker 1: that definitely allowed gleaning, but there's some that expressly prohibited, 886 00:49:10,200 --> 00:49:12,240 Speaker 1: which is sad because that is a lot of wasted 887 00:49:12,280 --> 00:49:22,160 Speaker 1: food that's supposedly to Hotel buffets are the champs of 888 00:49:22,239 --> 00:49:26,000 Speaker 1: food waste for not just buffets but the entire restaurant industry. 889 00:49:25,800 --> 00:49:28,359 Speaker 1: They throw out about fifty of all the food they 890 00:49:28,360 --> 00:49:31,480 Speaker 1: put out on any given day, which is just shameful. 891 00:49:32,040 --> 00:49:34,440 Speaker 1: But the thing silver lying of the whole thing is 892 00:49:34,440 --> 00:49:37,560 Speaker 1: is you don't have to worry about this food waste 893 00:49:37,560 --> 00:49:40,760 Speaker 1: for much longer because buffets probably won't be around that long, 894 00:49:41,280 --> 00:49:43,200 Speaker 1: or if they do, it's going to be in very 895 00:49:43,280 --> 00:49:48,400 Speaker 1: limited small amounts because, like you said, Um, that Ovation 896 00:49:48,480 --> 00:49:50,680 Speaker 1: Brands that was the leader of the industry for a while, 897 00:49:50,719 --> 00:49:54,160 Speaker 1: they went bankrupt. Right now, it's Golden Corral, but Golden 898 00:49:54,160 --> 00:49:58,239 Speaker 1: corrals up against the wall because not just restaurants are 899 00:49:58,280 --> 00:50:01,560 Speaker 1: in trouble, but phats were typically singled out by the 900 00:50:01,640 --> 00:50:05,480 Speaker 1: CDC guidelines. Is saying these should probably shut down until 901 00:50:05,560 --> 00:50:09,200 Speaker 1: the pandemic is over because they are COVID nightmares. As 902 00:50:09,239 --> 00:50:12,000 Speaker 1: far as restaurants are concerned, I think Golden cry would 903 00:50:12,000 --> 00:50:15,040 Speaker 1: be up against the fence now, I guess so maybe 904 00:50:15,120 --> 00:50:17,879 Speaker 1: up against the barbed wire. Yeah, I mean, people are 905 00:50:17,920 --> 00:50:21,880 Speaker 1: eating healthier these days. Millennials are certainly not unless there's 906 00:50:21,920 --> 00:50:24,680 Speaker 1: I'm sure there's an ironic millennial that loves a good buffet, 907 00:50:24,719 --> 00:50:29,040 Speaker 1: but generally that's not their bag. Even baby boomers, which 908 00:50:29,080 --> 00:50:32,640 Speaker 1: was a big part of the buffet generation, are eating 909 00:50:32,640 --> 00:50:36,480 Speaker 1: healthier as they age. Uh you know, they don't they 910 00:50:36,480 --> 00:50:39,239 Speaker 1: don't want to die. So everyone's trying to do a 911 00:50:39,239 --> 00:50:42,719 Speaker 1: little better. And and it's been narrowed down to, you know, 912 00:50:42,800 --> 00:50:44,960 Speaker 1: sort of the local mom and pops, you know what. 913 00:50:45,440 --> 00:50:47,920 Speaker 1: I have gone My dad lives up in the mountains, 914 00:50:48,680 --> 00:50:50,439 Speaker 1: and I've gone to the mom and pop buffet there 915 00:50:50,440 --> 00:50:54,160 Speaker 1: within the last like twelve years now there, but there's 916 00:50:54,280 --> 00:50:57,600 Speaker 1: goose and then sure it's great, and that that stuff 917 00:50:57,640 --> 00:51:00,840 Speaker 1: is cooked like that's like Grandma was fried chicken and 918 00:51:00,920 --> 00:51:06,600 Speaker 1: like the real deal. Yeah it's no. Um, but yeah 919 00:51:06,600 --> 00:51:09,040 Speaker 1: they are. I mean they're gonna they're not. The salad 920 00:51:09,080 --> 00:51:12,239 Speaker 1: bar will be around. They'll always be buffet's, probably on 921 00:51:12,440 --> 00:51:15,160 Speaker 1: cruise ships and there'll be some of casinos. The best 922 00:51:15,200 --> 00:51:17,759 Speaker 1: buffet I ever had was in Vegas with you me. 923 00:51:17,960 --> 00:51:20,840 Speaker 1: It was a breakfast buffet and they had no joke 924 00:51:21,640 --> 00:51:25,680 Speaker 1: um of doughnut making station where they made donuts in 925 00:51:25,680 --> 00:51:28,640 Speaker 1: front of you. It was like I can I can 926 00:51:28,680 --> 00:51:31,360 Speaker 1: still like imagine myself there right now, happiest day of 927 00:51:31,400 --> 00:51:35,560 Speaker 1: my life, like a little little friar. It was so good, dude, 928 00:51:35,920 --> 00:51:38,120 Speaker 1: it was so good. But they also had frosting too. 929 00:51:38,160 --> 00:51:40,520 Speaker 1: It wasn't just like here's some cunaman sugar on it. 930 00:51:40,520 --> 00:51:43,719 Speaker 1: It was they were amazing donuts. But um, so there's 931 00:51:43,800 --> 00:51:47,000 Speaker 1: there's always going to be like buffet's here or there, 932 00:51:47,040 --> 00:51:50,160 Speaker 1: but the idea of just buffet's being everywhere. Their heyday 933 00:51:50,239 --> 00:51:52,120 Speaker 1: is over and they're definitely going the way of the 934 00:51:52,160 --> 00:51:55,560 Speaker 1: dinas or face it, face it. But I mean, I 935 00:51:55,560 --> 00:51:57,479 Speaker 1: think it's said because I think the kids are gonna 936 00:51:57,520 --> 00:52:00,399 Speaker 1: miss out on a an experience because it's kids who 937 00:52:00,520 --> 00:52:02,719 Speaker 1: enjoy buffet, Do you know what I mean? Kids love 938 00:52:02,800 --> 00:52:06,240 Speaker 1: him man, that that swirled ice cream that that tastes 939 00:52:06,239 --> 00:52:08,920 Speaker 1: like acid rain will never get old. Yeah, And I 940 00:52:09,320 --> 00:52:11,160 Speaker 1: mean the the one of the things you can say 941 00:52:11,160 --> 00:52:14,040 Speaker 1: about buffets that will lose is this ability to try 942 00:52:14,280 --> 00:52:16,799 Speaker 1: new things. You know, like you don't you don't risk 943 00:52:16,840 --> 00:52:19,920 Speaker 1: it all on ordering something that's your entree and then 944 00:52:20,120 --> 00:52:22,600 Speaker 1: it's terrible and you just wasted it on trade. Like 945 00:52:22,800 --> 00:52:24,560 Speaker 1: you can go try stuff at a buffet, like I 946 00:52:24,600 --> 00:52:27,400 Speaker 1: tried frog legs when I was a kid at a 947 00:52:27,400 --> 00:52:30,719 Speaker 1: buffet at a dinner um, a dinner theater that we 948 00:52:30,840 --> 00:52:33,719 Speaker 1: used to go to. I probably never would have tried 949 00:52:33,800 --> 00:52:36,399 Speaker 1: frog legs in my entire life had it not been 950 00:52:36,480 --> 00:52:39,800 Speaker 1: for that buffet. So there's something to be lost with buffet's. 951 00:52:39,840 --> 00:52:42,320 Speaker 1: It's true. I think I might have tried frog legs. 952 00:52:42,360 --> 00:52:44,000 Speaker 1: And I don't know if you ever went to this place. 953 00:52:44,080 --> 00:52:47,239 Speaker 1: But my final plug it's not open anymore, so it's 954 00:52:47,320 --> 00:52:50,759 Speaker 1: a worthless plug. But Athens, Georgia had a place called 955 00:52:50,840 --> 00:52:54,440 Speaker 1: Charlie Williams Pine Crest Lodge. Oh yes, I remember the 956 00:52:54,480 --> 00:52:57,200 Speaker 1: Pine Crest Lodge that was out I guess somewhere on 957 00:52:57,239 --> 00:52:59,440 Speaker 1: the east side. It wasn't like close to campus or anything. 958 00:53:00,080 --> 00:53:03,600 Speaker 1: That's that was a really kind of quote unquote nice 959 00:53:03,640 --> 00:53:06,359 Speaker 1: buffet where like that's where the parents would always take 960 00:53:06,400 --> 00:53:08,960 Speaker 1: the kids when they were in down Right, you wore 961 00:53:09,040 --> 00:53:14,839 Speaker 1: your jeans without the holes and number that. Yeah, so 962 00:53:14,880 --> 00:53:17,520 Speaker 1: that's it on frog legs, Right, you got anything else? No, 963 00:53:17,840 --> 00:53:19,400 Speaker 1: I'm gonna I feel like I owe it to myself 964 00:53:19,440 --> 00:53:21,200 Speaker 1: to check out a buffet at some point soon all 965 00:53:21,239 --> 00:53:24,120 Speaker 1: not soon, but like next year. Yeah, after the pandemic 966 00:53:24,120 --> 00:53:28,120 Speaker 1: passes for sure. If there's any laft. Well, since we 967 00:53:28,239 --> 00:53:31,360 Speaker 1: talked about the pandemic passing everybody, that means, of course 968 00:53:31,360 --> 00:53:36,960 Speaker 1: it's time for listener mayo. Uh let me see, I've 969 00:53:36,960 --> 00:53:38,520 Speaker 1: got a few good ones here. I'm gonna call this 970 00:53:38,680 --> 00:53:44,040 Speaker 1: changed Life. Uh Kia Aura, guys, I'm writing because it's 971 00:53:44,239 --> 00:53:46,359 Speaker 1: an episode of your podcast Help me discover my Lafe's 972 00:53:46,360 --> 00:53:49,680 Speaker 1: passion in Dream Career ten years ago, I was a 973 00:53:49,760 --> 00:53:52,160 Speaker 1: science obsess twelve year all listened to listening to stuff 974 00:53:52,200 --> 00:53:55,040 Speaker 1: you should know frequently. In the episode that changed everything 975 00:53:55,120 --> 00:53:59,799 Speaker 1: was how molecular gastronomy works. Remember that one? Yeah, that's 976 00:53:59,800 --> 00:54:03,839 Speaker 1: the strange life changing one. The concept of breaking down 977 00:54:03,840 --> 00:54:07,520 Speaker 1: a food to its molecular basis and reconstructing it into 978 00:54:07,560 --> 00:54:12,279 Speaker 1: something unrecognizable from a sensory level. Blew my mind. You 979 00:54:12,320 --> 00:54:15,360 Speaker 1: planted a concept to my head that inspired me ever since. 980 00:54:16,000 --> 00:54:19,600 Speaker 1: That year. I did a presentation on h E R 981 00:54:19,719 --> 00:54:25,400 Speaker 1: V E. What is that harvey V? I don't know 982 00:54:25,440 --> 00:54:28,840 Speaker 1: what that is? I don't either. Oh no, HERV this 983 00:54:29,960 --> 00:54:32,000 Speaker 1: h T V r E this, I don't know what 984 00:54:32,040 --> 00:54:34,880 Speaker 1: that is. It sounds like it's a play on curb 985 00:54:35,000 --> 00:54:40,480 Speaker 1: this starry shape. Okay. I had this presentation for my class. 986 00:54:40,480 --> 00:54:43,080 Speaker 1: I saved up until like I could afford a kit 987 00:54:43,200 --> 00:54:46,000 Speaker 1: of food activities the following year, as fortune had at 988 00:54:46,000 --> 00:54:48,680 Speaker 1: a school teacher informed me that the more practical version 989 00:54:48,680 --> 00:54:52,799 Speaker 1: of molecular gastronomy's food technology. Through a science fair, I 990 00:54:52,880 --> 00:54:54,440 Speaker 1: was linked with a group of mentors with the New 991 00:54:54,480 --> 00:54:57,840 Speaker 1: Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology through the ages 992 00:54:57,880 --> 00:55:01,480 Speaker 1: of fourteen to sixteen h My early networking from six 993 00:55:01,560 --> 00:55:05,239 Speaker 1: years prior helped me secure an amazing first internship at 994 00:55:05,239 --> 00:55:09,840 Speaker 1: one of New Zealand's largest food manufacturers this summer. I 995 00:55:09,880 --> 00:55:12,839 Speaker 1: still get giddy with excitement I felt from that episode 996 00:55:12,880 --> 00:55:17,239 Speaker 1: every day, from studying non Newtonian fluid mechanics to experimenting 997 00:55:17,239 --> 00:55:21,040 Speaker 1: with new stabilizers. A single episode has led me down 998 00:55:21,520 --> 00:55:24,600 Speaker 1: a STEM path that I wouldn't have discovered otherwise. Yet 999 00:55:24,719 --> 00:55:30,240 Speaker 1: it suits me completely. Man. That's the gift of knowing 1000 00:55:30,239 --> 00:55:32,680 Speaker 1: what I am meant to do early on has pulled 1001 00:55:32,680 --> 00:55:35,560 Speaker 1: me through severe mental and physical illness. I'm not sure 1002 00:55:35,560 --> 00:55:38,239 Speaker 1: I would have continued to pursue a field and stem 1003 00:55:38,360 --> 00:55:40,840 Speaker 1: had I uh not known what was waiting for me. 1004 00:55:41,320 --> 00:55:43,240 Speaker 1: I think about how you guys change my life often. 1005 00:55:43,480 --> 00:55:46,840 Speaker 1: I'm sorry for not letting you know sooner. That's okay. 1006 00:55:47,360 --> 00:55:48,960 Speaker 1: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for pointing 1007 00:55:49,000 --> 00:55:51,200 Speaker 1: me in a direction of food technology. It is an 1008 00:55:51,200 --> 00:55:54,440 Speaker 1: invisible yet highly important undercoat of modern life that I 1009 00:55:54,440 --> 00:55:56,719 Speaker 1: would have never known without you. And that is from 1010 00:55:56,840 --> 00:56:02,560 Speaker 1: Kizzy Man. Kissy, thank you was an amazing email. That's that, Chuck, 1011 00:56:02,719 --> 00:56:06,160 Speaker 1: is exactly why we take every topic as seriously as 1012 00:56:06,200 --> 00:56:09,359 Speaker 1: the last, isn't it. Yeah? I think so, because I mean, 1013 00:56:09,440 --> 00:56:12,120 Speaker 1: you never know who what it's going to mean to somebody, 1014 00:56:12,360 --> 00:56:14,279 Speaker 1: and like, even if we're like, oh, that was kind 1015 00:56:14,280 --> 00:56:17,000 Speaker 1: of interesting, there's somebody like Kissy out there is like, well, 1016 00:56:17,080 --> 00:56:20,839 Speaker 1: that episode just changed my life. So congratulations Kizzy, I'm 1017 00:56:20,840 --> 00:56:22,840 Speaker 1: figuring out what you want to do in life so early. 1018 00:56:23,239 --> 00:56:26,160 Speaker 1: Best of luck and best wishes, and thank you very 1019 00:56:26,239 --> 00:56:28,600 Speaker 1: much for letting us know that that was great. You 1020 00:56:28,680 --> 00:56:31,160 Speaker 1: never know the next great buffeteer might be listening to 1021 00:56:31,200 --> 00:56:35,799 Speaker 1: this very episode, right, very nice. Well, if you want 1022 00:56:35,800 --> 00:56:37,520 Speaker 1: to get in touch of this like Kissy did, or 1023 00:56:37,640 --> 00:56:40,520 Speaker 1: you think you're America's next great buffeteer, we want to 1024 00:56:40,520 --> 00:56:42,840 Speaker 1: hear from you, you can send us an email to 1025 00:56:42,920 --> 00:56:49,120 Speaker 1: Stuff Podcast at iHeart radio dot com. Stuff you Should 1026 00:56:49,160 --> 00:56:52,000 Speaker 1: Know is a production of iHeart Radio for more podcasts 1027 00:56:52,000 --> 00:56:53,919 Speaker 1: for my heart Radio because at the iHeart Radio app, 1028 00:56:54,000 --> 00:56:56,640 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows