The buffet slayer
The COVID-19 pandemic is killing the US buffet. Although, judging by the size of Americans, I'm surprised that the very notion of an all-you-can-eat buffet hadn't become certain financial suicide years ago.
Nevertheless, some companies are finding the loss of footfall in the current situation too much to sustain.
The owners of Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes - which specialised in healthy foods - announced in May that they were declaring bankruptcy and permanently closing 97 restaurants, leaving 4,400 employees out of work.
Max Matza, BBC News, Washington
It's just a pity that the BBC's copy editor was having a bad hair day.
tomatoes, you say
tomato.
For those buffets that are still in business, the US FDA recommends: discontinuing self-service buffets and salad bars until these measures [social-distancing measures which discourage or prohibit dining in congregate settings] are lifted
. To comply with this, some buffets have adapted by banning customers from serving themselves, which rather negates their USP I would've thought.
I can't imagine the situation engendering as much sympathy as a pub with no beer though.