What Happened To Old Country Buffet?

Overview

All-you-can-eat buffets sound like a recipe for success: endless food, packed dining rooms, and customers piling their plates high. But what happens when the business model that made a restaurant chain famous becomes the very thing that threatens its survival? In this episode of Weird History Food, we take a look at the rise and fall of Old Country Buffet and Hometown Buffet, the beloved buffet chains that once served up mountains of comfort food before facing financial troubles, declining popularity, and a series of setbacks. From their heyday as a family dining favorite to the problems that helped bring the empire down, discover the strange story behind two of America's most memorable restaurant chains.