the essential
Bernard Boutboul is president of Gira, a marketing, strategy and development support firm specializing in catering. He agreed to answer our questions on the trend of all-you-can-eat buffets observed in recent years in Toulouse and its surrounding area.
La Dépêche du Midi: What are the origins of all-you-can-eat buffets?
Bernard Boutboul: Initially, it was the Anglo-Saxon countries that invented this concept. The casinos in Las Vegas, more precisely. Americans and Canadians have been fans of it for a long time. The concept was taken over by Europeans around fifty years ago. In France, the best-known buffets are those at Club Med. It’s a very particular method of distribution, which consumers love and which restaurateurs hate.
What do consumers like about all-you-can-eat buffets?
The “all you can eat” aspect, of course, and the fact that we manage our time at the table. If you want to get up three times in 20 minutes, it’s possible, and if you want to make the pleasure last for two hours, it’s possible too. We feel total freedom. We often go there in groups, and everyone helps themselves at their own pace. Surveys show that the French do not abuse all-you-can-eat buffets: they will refill their meals on average 2.5 times. It’s very unusual to see customers filling their plates endlessly. On arrival, if they pay more than what they actually consumed, that doesn’t bother them, because the notion of “all you can eat” justifies the price.
Why do restaurateurs hate this concept?
-Because it’s very difficult to make a profit. You have to make very large volumes, otherwise there are losses. It’s more complicated to manage than a traditional restaurant. This requires few staff – only to reload the buffets and clear them – so the prime cost is excellent. But there is always uncertainty in launching into this type of business, because it is difficult to evaluate the volumes, and therefore the turnover. To run well, a buffet must be a hit 7 days a week.
Why do we see a majority of Asian all-you-can-eat buffets and how are they evolving?
Over the past ten years, there has indeed been a surge in Asian buffets. They often operate with a network of common suppliers, which allows them to lower their cost price. Over the years, they have become restaurants that offer world cuisine; more generally, the “Chinese buffet” is outdated. They moved upmarket. If a few years ago, we were on a formula of €9.90 for lunch and €17 in the evening, now we are more on prices of €25-27 for lunch and €40 in the evening.
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