14 Chain Restaurant Buffets That No One Remembers Anymore

There's nothing quite as synonymous with American culture as an all-you-can-eat buffet. A mainstay of the U.S. dining experience during the '70s and '80s, buffets were a national phenomenon. Now, in a decline since their heyday, many household restaurant chains that were once renowned for their lavish spreads and unlimited portions have shut their doors.

Still, buffets once stood as a proud symbol of American indulgence. With endless choices, unlimited portions, and, most importantly for many, the ultimate bang for your buck, buffets were a staple of dining out. It didn't begin in the United States, though. In the early 18^th century, the Swedes reinvented the brännvinsbord, a pre-dinner tradition of appetizers and drinks, into the buffet-style smörgasbord. It was only in the 1940s that the buffet trend entered America when a Las Vegas casino employee by the name of Herb McDonald accidentally pioneered all-you-can-eat buffets in the U.S.

It wasn't long until restaurant chains across America perfected the buffet, with 24-hour all-you-can-eat spreads being offered throughout the country. By the '80s, there were multiple options in every city and town, with fast food chains like Pizza Hut, Popeyes, and KFC latching onto the trend. Today, however, it seems that most have had their fill of the buffet trend. Many of the household-name buffets that Americans used to love are no more.

Ryan's, an American buffet-style restaurant chain with more than 300 stores at one point, was first opened as Ryan's Steak House in 1978 in Greer, South Carolina. After the first restaurant opened, the chain quickly expanded throughout the Midwest and South, fast becoming a family favorite. Ryan's was well-known for offering affordable all-you-can-eat Southern-style comfort food, though it first began as a standard steak house before it introduced the buffet concept called the "Mega Bar."

While the chain was initially owned by founder Alvin A. McCall, it was sold in 2006 to Buffets, Inc., a prominent American company that specialized in buffet-style dining. Buffet's, Inc. was then rebranded to Ovation Brands in 2013 and later again in 2020 when it became VitaNova Brands. Several other large restaurant chains were under the umbrella, including Old Country Buffet, HomeTown Buffet, Fire Mountain, and Tahoe Joe's Famous Steakhouse. Trouble for Ryan's started brewing back in 2008 when Buffets first filed for bankruptcy protection.

After years of ongoing financial challenges and many Ryan's closing their doors, the final nail in the coffin was the pandemic, which led to the parent company filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2021. All Ryan's were subsequently closed. This was the end of one of the most-loved buffet chains in the country.

Founded in 1947 in San Antonio by Bob Luby, Luby's is a cafeteria-style chain that once boasted over 200 restaurants across the southwestern U.S. Born out of Texas, there were as many as 147 in the Lone Star state alone. Luby's quickly became a go-to spot for homestyle comfort food, serving classics like fried fish, chicken, beef steak, and mac and cheese. While the chain's buffet had the usual items, what really created a loyal following was Luby's all-you-can-eat breakfast on weekends, featuring fresh, homemade waffles, pancakes, bacon, eggs, migas, and more.

After the first Luby's opened, the chain expanded quickly. In 1959, when it had grown to 11 cafeterias, it incorporated as Cafeterias Inc., which sped up further expansion. To further fuel growth, it then became a publicly held corporation in 1973. Today, however, there are only 38 left in the state of Texas and none outside of it.

Trouble for the chain started in 1997 when then-CEO John Edward Curtis Jr. passed away. Although the company already experienced some store closures prior, poor sales and profits followed, and in 2020, the board approved plans to liquidate the company and began winding down. In 2021, entrepreneur Calvin Gin bought the business.

Country Cookin, headquartered in Virginia and founded by Roger Smith, was a smaller buffet-style chain that first opened in 1981. With a total of 13 restaurants, mostly along the Interstate 81 corridor, County Cookin was renowned for offering a warm, family-friendly atmosphere and hearty, Southern-style comfort food at an affordable price. A firm family favorite, the chain generated a loyal following for over 40 years. It was, however, the pandemic that ultimately sealed the fate of the much-loved eatery.

Country Cookin has an interesting history. Smith originally started Steer House Restaurants in 1972, which expanded into a chain before he sold it seven years later. Steer House Restaurants struggled following his exit, so in 1981, he bought back the Virginia locations, which were reopened under the name Country Cookin. The popularity of the chain continued even after Smith's death in 1998.

However, in 2020, Country Cookin had to close all restaurants and lay off over 400 employees. When it did, both past customers and staff took to social media to share their memories and love for the chain.

When the buffet trend swept across the U.S., fast food chains wanted their piece of the pie. There were a few major brands that introduced their own versions of the all-you-can-eat buffet, one of which was Pizza Hut. For kids in the late '80s and into the '90s, the Pizza Hut buffet was a thing that dreams were made of. You could get unlimited slices, pasta, salad, and dessert at an affordable price. 

At the time, Pizza Hut was fighting against other chains for market share, including Little Caesars and Domino's. New creations were introduced all the time in an effort to attract more customers. Depending on how they were received and how much money they made, they were either added to the menu or thrown in the bin. The buffet was one concept that lasted until it began disappearing in the early 2010s when demand slowed.

In 2014, the Pizza Hut buffet offering was discontinued at the majority of restaurants. In mid-2024, however, Pizza Hut began reviving it in some stores for lunchtime.

Founded by Roy Furr, Furr's was another chain of family-style restaurants that expanded through the years. The very first location opened in Hobbs, New Mexico in 1946. From there, the chain grew to over 90 locations, first known for its cafeteria-style offering before introducing the popular all-you-can-eat buffet. 

The family atmosphere of Furr's included fireplaces and even piano players at many of the restaurants, while the buffet featured a variety of grilled and fried dishes alongside vegetable and salad options.

In 1980, with a total of 76 restaurants located across the Southwest, Furr's was sold to Kmart for $70 million. The chain then changed hands several times over the years until it was bought by Fresh Acquisitions LLC in 2014. As was the case with many other restaurant chains, the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted revenue for Fresh Acquisitions LLC, and the group was forced to close down not only Furr's but a few other buffet chains. Once a go-to buffet for generations, Furr's is now only a distant memory.

First opening in 1986 in California, Fresh Choice was a buffet chain that appealed to the health-conscious. What set the restaurant apart was the offering of various fresh and sustainable options. Each restaurant featured an expansive salad bar with a wide variety of options, with a farm-to-fork philosophy of sourcing produce directly from local farms.

A big contributor to the loyal following that Fresh Choice gathered was its focus on organic food. In the '90s, demand for organic produce in the U.S. gained momentum, and Fresh Choice found itself in a nice niche. By the mid-'90s, the chain had grown to over 50 restaurants.

In 2012, after financial struggles, Fresh Choice filed for bankruptcy, closing down all remaining stores at the end of the year. This didn't stop David Boyd, owner at the time, from keeping the salad concept alive by rebranding a few of the restaurants into California Fresh. However, this move was likely unsuccessful, as some Yelp users have reported the California Fresh locations are permanently closed.

Those who grew up near Los Angeles in the late '50s and early '60s may recall the birth and initial expansion of one of America's most iconic steak restaurants, Sizzler. Founded in Culver City in LA by Del and Helen Johnson, Sizzler was focused on offering Western-style cuisine and opened its first store with a 99 cents steak dinner special. 

Three years after its opening, the restaurant had expanded to 12 locations. Fast forward four years, and the chain went over the 100-store mark before it expanded even further, becoming one of the most recognizable restaurants in the U.S. While a sizzling steak was a favorite on the menu, the chain eventually offered a buffet concept, which it called the "buffet court."

Trouble began in 1996 when the chain closed down 136 stores. The chain then evolved a few years later to focus on kitchen-prepared meals, following which it was sold in 2011 when it had a total of 178 locations. The COVID-19 pandemic was the final nail in the coffin when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020. Today, the chain still exists in the American West, but the numbers have dwindled significantly, and the only buffet option is for the salad-lovers.

Wendy's was another company that eagerly jumped on the 1980s buffet wagon. As one of the first pioneers of the drive-thru takeaway concept, Wendy's opened its very first store in Columbus in 1969. The growth from there was nothing short of remarkable. In 2001, the chain opened its 6,000^th location.

After the buffet trend started to gain traction in the '80s, the burger wars were already in full swing, and so Wendy's looked at ways to improve its market share. So, the Wendy's Superbar was born. The focus wasn't on burgers, though. The chain's massive all-you-can-eat buffet featured pasta, Mexican food, salad sections, and desserts. When the buffet first opened, diners could participate for as little as $3.99 after dinner, though it was cheaper for kids 12 and younger. The concept was a massive hit, which ultimately was the reason it was removed.

The problem Wendy's had was that it wasn't actually making much money from the buffet, even though the options for customers weren't expensive ones. When Wendy's took a closer look at its returns, factoring in staff costs, it decided to start phasing it out, and by the late '90s, they were all gone.

Popeyes, more formally known as Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, was first opened in 1972 by Alvin C. Copeland Sr. The entrepreneur chose a New Orleans suburb as the first location, although it went by a different name. It was first called Chicken on the Run before it was renamed Popeyes. The name was inspired by the leading character of the movie "The French Connection," Popeye Doyle, played by the late Gene Hackman. Not satisfied with only offering plated meals, Popeyes introduced the buffet at many of its restaurants in the U.S., which was a massive hit.

When the Popeyes buffet was at its most popular, diners could enjoy the all-you-can-eat spread for about $10. The buffet featured a hot bar with mountains of fried chicken and various other selections, including macaroni and mashed potato. In selected restaurants, you could even get endless amounts of spaghetti and tacos.

The bottomless fried chicken dream didn't last for Popeye enthusiasts, though, as one by one, the buffet disappeared from its restaurants. In 2021, only one remaining Popeyes buffet remained but was closed at the end of the year. The COVID-19 pandemic was the final straw on the Popeye buffet's back.

Colonel Sanders' famous fried chicken chain was not to be outdone by other fast food chains adopting the buffet trend. Harland Sanders, the Colonel, opened the doors to the very first Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) in 1952 in Salt Lake City, Utah. While the chicken brand grew rapidly, so did the fame of Harland Sanders. In 1976, the Colonel became the second most recognizable celebrity on earth (after Muhammad Ali). The KFC buffet, while perhaps not as famous as the Colonel himself, was immensely popular in the 1980s.

During that decade, fried chicken enthusiasts could choose from the standard menu or go all in with the buffet-style option, which featured various KFC sample items. The KFC buffet, while there isn't a lot of detailed information available that goes into the specifics, was a real thing in the '80s. 

Over time, the highly sought-after all-you-can-eat KFC buffets disappeared from North America. Today, to find one in the U.S. would be considered a feat of fried chicken archaeology. However, if you're willing to travel, you can still get this much-loved buffet in Japan. 

Another steakhouse that offered the all-you-can-eat buffet was Ponderosa Steakhouse, a chain that at one time had about 700 locations. Established in 1965 in Indiana, the brand became the largest steakhouse chain in America in the 1980s. The restaurant quickly became known for its expansive buffet of steak, seafood, and chicken. Its casual atmosphere was one of the key reasons it became popular, with the chain considered a fast-casual dining pioneer at the time. 

The rapid growth of the chain started when it began franchising in 1966. The menu's affordability at the time was a huge attraction to families, and so the chain expanded. By the time the 1980s had come around, problems started to brew. 

At first, in 1980, there was an attempted takeover by General Host Corporation, which the chief executive at the time, Gerald S. Office Jr., managed to avoid. Five years later, there was another purchase attempt, this time by USACafes Inc., which was also rejected. In 1986, however, the chain was sold to Asher Edelman, a New York investor, for $233 million. Only two years later, in 1988, Ponderosa was bought by Metromedia, Inc. Shortly after that, the owner of Metromedia, Inc., John Kluge, bought USACafes which operated Bonanza steakhouses and joined the two chains together to create Metromedia Steakhouses Inc. In 2008, Metromedia filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Today, according to its website, only 16 Ponderosa Steakhouses remain.

The Old Country Buffet, which once had over 600 locations across America, was first opened in 1983. Families loved the buffet-style offering where diners were welcome to go back for second, thirds, and more. The chain was a part of the growing buffet trend at the time, and its red logo became recognizable across the country.

Old Country Buffet aimed to cater to everyone with a wide selection of meats, salads, seafood, and desserts. The chain experienced rapid growth over the 13 years that followed, reaching 346 stores following the merger with HomeTown Buffet.

The chain was yet another victim of the COVID-19 pandemic, as trade was completely halted, which led to financial woes for the business. At the time, Old Country Buffet was owned by Fresh Acquisitions, and in 2021, the company filed for bankruptcy. After the chain was then bought by BBQ Holdings Inc., there appeared to be no intention to bring it back to life. Today, there are no Old Country Buffets still open. BBQ Holdings Inc. has — to date — not given an indication of a revival.

Souplantation was a self-serve restaurant chain that opened in San Diego in 1978, featuring a buffet bursting with salads, soups, potato bars, and various baked treats. It was a bartender by the name of Dennis Jay who had the original idea to launch the brand and opened the very first Californian Souplantation on Mission Gorge Road in San Diego.

Souplantation, known as Sweet Tomatoes outside of Southern California, had a focus on healthier eating options, which at the time had become popular. The chain continued to grow until 2020, when it had reached a total of 97 stores. Between 1978 and 2020, the chain encountered its fair share of challenges.

In 2007, a Souplantation location in Lake Forest was linked to 12 cases of E. coli. Then, in 2016, the company first filed for bankruptcy. 2020 was nearly the end for the chain when it filed for bankruptcy protection, closing all 97 restaurants, resulting in 4,400 people losing their jobs. However, it made a small comeback in 2024 with the reopening of a Sweet Tomatoes location in Arizona.

First opening in the mid-1980s in Plano, Texas, Cicis was another buffet-style pizza chain that entered the all-you-can-eat race. It became a family favorite, where customers could eat as much from the Cicis buffet as they could handle. In a short space of time, the chain became synonymous with the all-you-can-eat pizza trend of the '90s.

In 2009, Cicis had a whopping 600 locations across the U.S. It wasn't all smooth sailing until then, though. In 2003, franchise owners became aware that founder Joe Croce intended to sell the business, creating a lot of uncertainty as to the future of the brand. 

Then, in 2018, all Cicis located in New York closed their doors. The worst was yet to come. In 2021, when the chain was reduced to 300 locations, the company filed for bankruptcy as a result of the pandemic. Today, according to its website, there are 269 locations left across the U.S., a far cry from the over 600 locations it once had.