Thanks for Visiting!

Register for free to get the full story.

Sign Up
Already have a Placer.ai account? Log In

Buffet Restaurants: Filling Up on Foot Traffic

by 
Ezra Carmel
 on 
May 3, 2023
Buffet Restaurants: Filling Up on Foot Traffic

For some time, traffic to the dining industry has been impacted by inflationary pressures on consumer spending. Various restaurant categories have seen a decline in visits, and yet, some chains – and formats like “eatertainment” – are weathering the storm. 

Buffet restaurants – with their combination of value and variety – have shown to be another successful venture in dining. We dove into the location analytics for the restaurant space and three of the largest buffet chains – Cicis, Golden Corral, and Pizza Ranch – to take a closer look at the trends driving visits to buffets.

In Line for Visits

In 2021, pandemic restrictions gave way to strong visitation trends in multiple restaurant categories, with buffets experiencing some of the most dramatic increases in visits. After months of being stuck inside, consumers likely found eating at home was getting somewhat repetitive and excitedly returned to buffets and the seemingly endless variety they offer. 

Since January 2021, buffets outperformed their comparable restaurant peers in terms of baseline visit growth. And though both Fast-Casual and Full-Service chains – like Chipotle and The Cheesecake Factory, respectively – have also found relative success, buffets experienced larger visit growth than both dining categories. 

Notably, in 2022 when inflation began to dominate headlines, buffets’ baseline visit growth started to soar. Likely, diners choosing to eat out became increasingly concerned with getting value for money and buffets became a popular choice. 

Self-Serving Value 

At a time when many consumers are cutting back on discretionary spending, buffets have continued to drive visits by maintaining their value perception. Trade Area Analysis of three major buffet chains – Golden Corral, Cicis, and Pizza Ranch – using the Census 2019: (5-year ACS) dataset revealed that in 2022 all three chains had trade areas with a median household income (HHI) below the national benchmark. And all three chains also had trade areas with a percentage of non-family households that was higher than the national benchmark. 

For diners, an all-you-care-to-eat buffet at a fixed price seems like a good way to fill up without being surprised by the bill. This could be why many lower-income consumers have recently been flocking to buffet chains.

But for visitors with children in tow, buffets may not be such an attractive value proposition – even with kids pricing. These visitors might not expect young diners to be hungry enough to make an all-you-care-to-eat buffet worthwhile, which could explain why visitors from non-family households are making up a relatively large percentage of buffet visitors. It would appear that lower-income visitors who aren’t paying for a crowd, are most drawn to a buffet meal. 

Second Helpings

Whether it’s because buffets provide many choices to keep eating out fresh – or because they offer bang-for-a-buck – visitors are now frequenting buffet chains more often. 

In Q1 2023, all three chains analyzed grew their percentage of repeat visitors compared to Q1 2021. Pizza Ranch had the highest percentage of repeat visitors of the bunch, which could be connected to having a trade area population with both a relatively high median HHI and percentage of non-family households. Pizza Ranch visitors from non-family households might find the most value in a buffet and have a somewhat larger budget to do so more frequently.

Plate-Up

Since consumers emerged from pandemic restrictions and returned to their favorite restaurant chains, buffets have been piling on visits. It seems that value and variety are driving the recent buffet boom which has seen a surge in both repeat visits and visits overall. As inflationary woes continue, buffets are in position to continue to drive traffic from throngs of hungry diners. 

For more restaurant updates and location intelligence insights, visit Placer.ai.

Get 3 brand & industry
breakdowns every week

Subscribe to the newsletter

Great! Prepare your inbox for data-driven insights...
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Get a Demo

Please enter your first name
Please enter your last name
Please provide a valid email
Please enter your email
Please enter company name

Thanks for reaching out!

One of our experts will be in touch soon

Try Placer.ai Free
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Text Link
Golden Corral
Text Link
Pizza Ranch
Small Coffee Chains Brewing Big Success
Placer.ai White Paper Recap – November 2023
Thanksgiving Travel 2023 Recap
Checking in With Nike and Lululemon
Black Friday 2023 Retail Recap
Starbucks’ 2023 Holiday Menu & Red Cup Day Performance
Turkey Wednesday 2023
Who Attended the 2023 Pickleball Championship? 
Three Surprising Holiday Shopping Trends
What’s in Store for Ulta Beauty This Holiday Season?
Best Buy and Department Stores: A Holiday Deep Dive
Discount & Dollar Stores: Strength Toward The End of the Year
The State of Off-Price Retail: Discounts Seal The Deal
Placer Mall Index Recap: October 2023
Placer.ai Office Index: October 2023 Recap
Retail Corridors Ahead of the 2023 Holiday Season
California, Here Gap Comes
Checking in With Home Improvement
Getting Into the Glasses Game: Warby Parker Takes Over
Fitness Positioned for a Strong 2023 Finish
White Paper Recap: October 2023
Coffee Giants Brewing Up Business
Popeyes and Burger King Lead the Way
Diving into Yum!
Looking Ahead to Black Friday 2023
Blockbusters Drive Movie Theater Comeback
Crocs and Boot Barn: Shoe-Ins for Success
McDonald’s and Chipotle's Winning Recipe
The State Of Steak: Checking in With Texas Roadhouse
Pleasant Pastimes: Pickleball Potential Proves Potent
Who’s Driving Downtown Manhattan’s Weekend Revival?
Diving into Downtown Manhattan Foot Traffic Trends
Rite Aid: Rightsizing Right
Major League Soccer: Its Die-Hard and Casual Fans
The Anchor Recap: September 2023
Placer.ai Office Index: September 2023 Recap
Placer Mall Index Recap: September 2023
September White Paper Recap
The Consumer Habits of College Students
JCPenney: Rightsizing and Revitalizing
Pent-Up Demand Ahead of October Sales Events
4 Strategies Retailers are Using to Drive Traffic to Their Venues
5 Key Regional Grocery Players Impressing in 2023
Upscale Kitchenware Trending Up
Costco Finds More Room for Growth
Four C-Store Chains Making an A-Grade
National Parks + Outdoor Summer Activities
Diving Into Darden: Summer 2023 Update
The Summer Event Effect
Messi: Massive in Miami
Looking Back on Back to School 2023
The Anchor Recap: August 2023
Placer.ai Office Index: August 2023 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index: August 2023 Recap
Placer.ai White Paper Recap: August 2023
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Strikes Again
Big Scoop: We All Scream For Ice Cream
Sports Away: Lululemon & Nike’s Momentum Continues
Summer Visits Heat Up For Recreation and Outdoor Gear Chains
No CSS overwrite - July 2023 Office Index Recap
Staging - August 2023 Mall Indec
Mid-Atlantic Grocery Deep Dive
Experiential Chains Heating Up This Summer
Petco Goes Big by Going Small
Ulta Beauty: Leading the Discretionary Pack
Discount and Dollar Chains Continue to Thrive
Summer of Sports: DICK’s Sporting Goods and Hibbett Sports
Off-Price: Succeeding Into Summer
The Anchor Recap: July 2023
Superstores Maintaining Pandemic Gains Amidst Economic Headwinds
2023: Home Improvement at the Halfway Point
July 2023 Office Index Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index: July 2023 Recap
The Taylor Swift Visit Lift
Southwestern Grocery Dive
July 2023 White Paper Recap: Halfway Point Review & Quarterly Index
Yum! Brands: Driving Dining Visits
Slurpees and Summer Movies Stimulate Consumer Foot Traffic
Cool Beans: Summer Coffee Update
Checking In on Back to School 2023
Crocs and New Balance Tip The Scales
Burger Bliss: Shake Shack and In-N-Out Stacking Visits
Chipotle & McDonald's Continue to Reign Supreme
Vibenomics and Placer.ai Partner to Enhance Retail Media In-Store Measurement
California Grocers Here We Come!
Marriott’s Different Audiences
Bonchon and Kura Sushi Thrive in the Fast-Casual Scene
A Shoe In: Footwear Climbs to the Top
Cheers! Raising a Glass to Beverage Retail
Placer.ai Office Index: June 2023 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index June 2023 Recap – A Turn of the Tide and a Dive into Open-Air Lifestyle Centers
Local Kitchens: Redefining the Restaurant
Unlocking Urban Insights: The Value in Manhattan’s Employees
Ohio State Parks On The Rise
How is Inflation Impacting the High-Income Shoppers?
Five Fast-Growing Dining Chains
What To Expect From Prime Day and July Sales Events in 2023
The State Of Fashion: How Are Apparel Retailers Faring in 2023?
2023’s Latest Dining Success Story: GEN Korean BBQ House
The NBA Finals: A Location Intelligence Perspective