Thanks for Visiting!

Register for free to get the full story.

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

Buffet Restaurants: Filling Up on Foot Traffic

Buffet restaurants are thriving - and today, we take a look at what is driving foot traffic to chains like Cicis, Golden Corral, and Pizza Ranch.

By 
Ezra Carmel
May 3, 2023
Buffet Restaurants: Filling Up on Foot Traffic
SHARE
Explore our free tools to get timely insights into key industries
Check out the latest trends for
No items found.
Key Takeaways

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.

Learn how downtown regions across US cities are measuring up with our free tools.
Check out the latest trends for
No items found.
Explore our free tools to get timely insights into key industries
Check out the latest trends for
No items found.
SHARE
Get 3 brand & industry
breakdowns every week
Subscribe to the newsletter
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.

Recent Publications

Get 3 brand & industry breakdowns every week

Subscribe to the newsletter
Text Link
Golden Corral
Text Link
Pizza Ranch
Home Depot and Lowe’s Heading Into the Holidays
Starbucks and Dutch Bros: Short Visits Lead the Way
Planet Fitness: Raising the Bar(bell)
Checking in With Full-Service Restaurants: First Watch, Chili’s, and Outback Steakhouse
RBI and Yum!: QSR Resilience in 2024
Boot Barn and DSW: Stepping Up Their Game
Target’s October Circle Week: A Data-Driven Snapshot
Chipotle, Shake Shack & Wingstop: Dining Success in Q3 2024
Playa Bowls and Tropical Smoothie Cafe: Berry Big Business
Cheesecake Factory & BJ’s Restaurants: Full-Service Success
Checking in on McDonald's and Wendy's 
Sprouts Farmers Market: A Specialty Grocer With a Traditional Twist
CAVA: The Craze Continues
Placer.ai Reaches $100M Annual Recurring Revenue
Catching Up With Carter's 
A Texas Roadhouse and LongHorn Steakhouse Showdown
Placer.ai Mall Index: September 2024 Recap – Labor Day Peaks and Holiday Season Predictions
Albertsons Q3 Check-In
Looking Ahead to the 2024 Holiday Season
Trader Joe's: Continuing to Thrive in 2024
Bowlero and AMF: A Ten-Pin Knockout
Recreational Retail: Store Performance in 2024
Placer.ai White Paper Recap – September 2024
A QSR and Fast-Casual Face-Off
Sam’s Club’s In-Store Retail Media Network Opportunity
The Rising Stars: Six Metro Areas Welcoming Young Professionals
Costco in 2024: A Deep Dive
Sherwin-Williams in 2024: Brighter Than a New Lick of Paint
Life Time and Orangetheory: Premium Fitness Flourishing
C-Stores: More Than A Pit Stop
Darden: Dining Dominance Undeterred 
Placer 100 Index for Retail and Dining: August 2024 Recap
Placer.ai Office Index: August 2024 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index: August 2024 Recap – Back-To-School In Full Swing
Auto Parts Retailers: The Traffic Continues
Pumpkin Spice Works its Magic Once Again
School Season Sparks Retail Growth
Placer.ai White Paper Recap – July & August 2024
Big Lots’ Big Rightsizing Move in Four Data Points
Fun Away From The Sun: Checking in With Eatertainment
Domestic Migration and Population Growth: Strong Currents Off The Carolina Coast
The Civic Impact of Summer Events
Retail Trends in College Towns: A Back-to-School Snapshot
Five Below and Ollie’s Bargain Outlet: Consumers Still on the Hunt for Discounts
Macy’s & Bloomingdale’s: Into 2024 and Beyond
Limited Time Only: The Trend Continues
Beauty in 2024: Many Ways to Win
Dollar General & Dollar Tree: Powering Ahead in Q2 2024
The Home Depot and Lowe's Foot Traffic Remodel in Q2 2024
Superstore Update: Summer Savings Spree
Placer.ai Mall Index: July 2024 Recap – From Fourth of July to Back-to-School
Placer.ai Office Index: July 2024 Recap
Summer Movie Madness: Blockbuster Films Boost Foot Traffic
Driving Success: Toyota in 2024
Denny’s and IHOP: An All-Day Breakfast Matchup
Warby Parker: Seeing Clearly Now
Planet Fitness at the 2024 Halfway Point
Serving Summer 2024: RBI and Yum! Brands Q2 Foot Traffic
Starbucks, Dutch Bros., Dunkin’: Finding Summer Success
Fast Food and Fast Casual Favorites, Plus CosMc’s Takeoff
Chipotle and Sweetgreen: Fast-Casual in Q2 2024
First Watch, Texas Roadhouse, and Applebee’s: An FSR Roundup
Albertsons Companies: H1 2024 Recap
Teaming Up For Success: Sports Stadium Sponsorships
Limited Time Offers: Price Wars Boost Visits
Placer 100 Index for Retail & Dining: June 2024 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index: June 2024 Recap
Placer.ai Office Index: June 2024 Recap
Inside Out 2: The New Blockbuster Bringing Crowds Back to Theaters
Petco and PetSmart: A Head to Head
Frozen Delights: Exploring Ice Cream Chains Across America
Placer.ai White Paper Recap – June 2024
Barnes & Noble: Writing a New Story
Small Format Stores - Sprouting, Blooming, and Expanding
Retail and Dining on Father’s Day
Thrift Store Visit Scores
Charting Value Grocery’s Visit Growth
Placer 100 Index for Retail & Dining: Introduction and May 2024 Recap
Digging Into Darden: Q2 2024 Update
2024 Retail and Dining Trends Update
TRU and avid: Midscale Hotels on the Rise 
Diving Into Kroger: A Strong Start to 2024
Placer.ai Mall Index: May 2024 Recap – Mall Visits on the Rebound
Placer.ai Office Index: May 2024 Recap
2024 Memorial Day Recap
Las Vegas: A Tourism and Migration Deep Dive
Eatertainment Chains: Full on Food, Fun, and Foot Traffic
The Promise of Luxury Apparel
Catching Up With Ulta Beauty & Gap Brands
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet and Five Below: Q1 2024 Treasure Troves
CAVA Still Going Strong
Driving Success: Auto Parts Chains in 2024
Checking in With DICK’S Sporting Goods
Mother’s Day Shopping and Dining Trends
Placer.ai Mall Index: April 2024 Recap – Retail Resilience Heading into Spring
Dollar Stores Still Gaining Momentum
Off-Price Apparel Chains After Q1 2024: Demographics in the Balance
Walmart, Target, and Wholesale Clubs Continue to Thrive
Home Improvement and Decor Check In
Placer.ai Office Index: April 2024 Recap – Recovery Continues