All-you-can-eat restaurant

An all-you-can-eat restaurant (AYCE) is a type of restaurant in which a fixed price is charged for entry, after which diners may consume as much food as they wish. All-you-can-eat establishments are frequently buffets.

Buffets

The all-you-can-eat buffet has been ascribed to Herbert "Herb" Cobb McDonald, a Las Vegas publicity and entertainment manager who introduced the idea in 1946.[1][2] In his 1965 novel The Muses of Ruin, William Pearson wrote, of the buffet:

At midnight every self-respecting casino premières its buffet— the eighth wonder of the world, the one true art form this androgynous harlot of cities has delivered herself of... We marvel at the Great Pyramids, but they were built over decades; the midnight buffet is built daily. Crushed-ice castles and grottoes chill the shrimp and lobster. Sculptured aspic is scrolled with Paisley arabesques. They are, laid out with reverent artistry: hors d'oeuvres, relish, salads, and sauces; crab, herring oyster, sturgeon, octopus, and salmon; turkey, ham, roast beef, casseroles, fondues, and curries; cheeses, fruits, and pastries. How many times you go through the line is a private matter between you and your capacity, and then between your capacity and the chef's evil eye.[3]

A 2011 study showed that the actual amount of food consumed increases with the price charged for the buffet.[4]

With many restaurants offering take-away or delivery only, since March 2020, most all-you-can-eat buffets were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other restaurants

The all-you-can-eat business model is also prevalent in Korean barbecue,[5] Brazilian churrasco,[6] and Chinese hot pot.[7]

Beverages

When applied to beverages, particularly alcoholic beverages, the unlimited model is known as "all-you-can-drink" or "bottomless" (as in "bottomless brunch").[8][9]

References
  1. "Strip visionary McDonald dies". Las Vegas Sun. July 9, 2002.
  2. restaurants at the El Rancho Vegas
  3. Pearson, William (1965). The Muses of Ruin. McGraw-Hill.
  4. Just, David R.; Brian Wansink (February 2011). "The Flat-Rate Pricing Paradox: Conflicting Effects of "All-You-Can-Eat" Buffet Pricing". The Review of Economics and Statistics. 93 (1): 193–200. doi:10.1162/REST_a_00057. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  5. Chaudhury, Nadia (17 June 2016). "Austin's Top Korean Barbecue". Eater Austin. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  6. Munyal, Panna (13 May 2019). "Ramadan 2019: Eight alternative iftars to try in Dubai and Abu Dhabi". The National. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  7. Richardson, Nikita (17 January 2019). "Where to Eat Hot Pot in NYC Right Now". Grub Street. New York Magazine. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  8. Maurer, Daniel (10 May 2005). "Open Bar and All-You-Can-Drink Specials at New York City bars and clubs". New York Magazine. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  9. "Bottomless brunch in NYC: The best (and tastiest) deals". AM New York. 22 May 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
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