"Eat ’til you show a profit,” Russell O’Connell jokes when he takes family out for his favorite dining experience— buffets. A retired pilot in Annandale, Virginia, O’Connell likes the variety and value buffets offer. But unlike the days when “all you can eat” was magnet enough, today’s consumers want quality and ambiance, too.

“Buffets used to be about massive quantities of food,” says Salim Khoury, executive chef at the new Sandia Resort & Casino north of Albuquerque, a Native American-owned property that opened in December with five dining venues, including the 24-hour, 500-seat Thur Shan Buffet. “But today, customers are well educated, they travel, they go to nice restaurants and sample many different dishes. Their expectations are higher.”

Khoury’s approach to making buffet guests happy includes fresh ingredients, small containers (roughly 12 portions) with frequent changeouts, lots of variety, and action stations for made-to-order selections such as stir-fry and omelets. The price, too, is a draw: only $8.95 on most days, except Fridays, when seafood is featured at $16.95, and Saturdays, when $10.95 includes prime rib. Repeat business is important, since 90 percent of customers are locals.

Each day has a theme—barbecue on Wednesday, Italian on Thursday—but unlike in the past, when the site held only a casino and 260-seat restaurant, themed dishes are a supplement and not the main fare. “When we ran only themed buffets, customers didn’t like it, but with the range of foods we have now, they’re always satisfied,” Khoury says. Chefs on the buffet floor use high-heat woks, grills, fryers, and pizza ovens that make guests feel part of the food preparation experience. The Asian station is the most popular, Khoury points out—“maybe because 100 percent of the cooking is done right there. People love to watch, and they associate sizzle with fresh.”

Behind each station, cooks and servers have lists of ingredients posted so they can answer questions from people with allergies or health concerns. Is this a wheat product? Are there nuts in this? What kind of oil are you using? “That way, even if someone comes on board to relieve another staff person, they have all the information they need.”

Quality, Consistency, Service
Running a buffet that’s both popular and profitable is almost a science for Gus Sader, president of Hospitality Asset Services, LLC, who specializes in revitalizing flagging hotels and restaurants. Since taking over management in late 2004 of the Mayfair Hotel, a Los Angeles landmark built in the 1920s, the luncheon buffet in the 225-seat Orchid Gardens Restaurant has gone from “the same ten to fifteen guests” to an average of 150 customers a day.

“This isn’t working,” Sader told the chef when he first observed the sluggish, unappetizing buffet. “I said, we have an incredible opportunity. Government agencies, offices, banks, the convention center—5,000 employees are nearby who need to be taken care of every day at lunch.”

Guided by his mantra of quality, consistency, and prompt service, Sader said, “Let’s improve on our offerings, our food, and our presentation, and let’s look at our costs so we can better control them.” He encouraged the chef to shrug off constraints placed by previous management and be bold and innovative.

Now the award-winning buffet lunch offers tapas, homemade soups such as lentil and clam chowder, six salads that change daily—from sautéed asparagus and onion to broccoli-carrot, Caesar, and tabbouleh—fresh vegetables, rice, pasta, beef, chicken, and fish. All this for $9.75, including tax and gratuity. “Every single day is different,” Sader points out. “Guests can come several times a week and always find something new.” The carving station might feature turkey one day, beef, ham, or salmon the next, and in the dessert area, there’s a station where a convivial cook produces six waffles every three minutes—topped with strawberry sauce and whipped cream.

According to Sader, 50 percent of a buffet’s appeal is presentation, so it must be inviting, crisp, and constantly replenished. Foods are prepared fresh every day, including breads, filling the buffet with irresistible aromas. Staff, decked out in clean uniforms, are upbeat and attentive, and live piano music plays in the background. “The effect is cheerful and vibrant,” he says. Although regular table service is available, “95 percent of people pick the buffet.”

Splurge with a View
In contrast with the economical buffets at the Mayfair and the Sandia Resort, the Sunday brunch buffet at Pisces, a 100-seat rooftop restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore, is a splurge at $39 per person. But the fare—heavy on seafood—is elegant, champagne is complimentary, and the view across the Baltimore Harbor is “the best in the city,” says Matthew Pilarski, food & beverage director.

The buffet includes sushi made fresh while you watch, a raw bar, plus shrimp, smoked salmon, an array of salads and fresh fruit, and breads, pastries, and desserts on clear, multi-tiered displays arranged in pods at one end of the long, narrow restaurant “so you don’t feel like you’re going down an airport runway,” Pilarski says.

For those who think waiting on yourself is no way to feel pampered, the best feature is a prepared- to-order entrée that servers deliver to your table: eggs benedict over polenta topped with crabmeat, grilled scallops and shrimp, or omelette and filet, for example.

“We don’t have the space to put two or three entrées, vegetables, and starches on display, so this approach works for us,” Pilarski notes. “About 80 percent of our customers are local. Many are drawn by the view, but what brings them back is the quality and service.”

A Marketing Tool
Although buffets are great for serving large numbers quickly—particularly at lunchtime, when many people need to be in and out in 45 minutes—they play a valuable marketing role. “A good buffet is a showcase—it’s a selling point for banquets and other special hotel services,” Sader points out. “Customers say, My God, if it’s this good, I want my son’s bar mitzvah or my daughter’s wedding here.”

In fact, at Pisces in Baltimore, the Sunday buffet is more showcase than profit center. “We don’t get rich on the buffet, but it draws people who might not come into our facility otherwise—and that’s valuable,” Pilarski says.

Vicki Meade is a frequent contributor to HOTEL F&B EXECUTIVE.