The Future of Buffet-Style Dining

Particularly across the hotel and airline industries, we’re seeing quick pivots in service models when it comes to amenities like the continental breakfast and the airport lounge, which have traditionally been buffet-style. The following are just some of the changes at play:

Grab & Go
Operators are taking a grab-and-go approach of providing individually wrapped, pre-packaged food and beverage. This helps minimize contact with staff and other guests, while also lessening the possibility of overcrowding as people will have the option to take their items outside of the space.

A La Carte
Many hotels and airline lounges offered both buffet and a la carte dining options pre-COVID. Now that the self-service buffet model has been scrutinized, operators are investing in full-service dining and a la carte menus. While this option requires more FOH and BOH staff, it minimizes guest-to-guest contact and creates a thoughtful experience for those who want to remain in the space.

Trolley
Operators with less space for full-dining services and more loungelike settings have introduced meal trolleys that servers roam through the space (e.g. Zurich Aspire Lounge). Similar to having an a la carte menu, this model keeps guests from overcrowding certain areas and reduces high-touch points in dining rooms

Cafeteria-Style
For operators where buffets were the center of the experience, the most viable option has been to re-imagine their existing models without completely overhauling it. Places like MGM, IHG, and buffet restaurants have implemented cafeteria-style models where guests continue the buffet-style lineup, but are served by dedicated staff members for each section.

Whether you are pivoting and/or largely maintaining a buffet model, operators should explore the following considerations to make it a more hygienic and hospitable experience for all:

Sneeze Guards
While sneeze guards have been utilized often in larger buffet spaces in hotels and grocery stores, they will become an essential part of the post-COVID model. Whether they’re design-heavy or strictly a mandatory add-on, buffet design will have to pivot to adhere to these new standards.

Single Portions
Hotels and cruises, such as The Prince Hotel in Hong Kong, are now offering individual small plates in order to pivot from the classic buffet layout of large-format food displays with reusable tongs.

Pacing Service
To avoid overcrowding common areas, buffets may need to explore pacing the number of parties that can be at the buffet at one time. Some chains, like Golden Corral, are also adding a tableside family-style service where “guest favorites” can be delivered in larger quantities.

While the buffet model will evolve its design and operations in order to survive post-COVID, many operators may begin to expand and ideate outside of the standard hotel, cruise, and airline F&B models.

Vending Machines
From custom salad bars to “autonomous restaurants” that dispense bowls of hot ramen, vending machines are a convenient model that save space, require less BOH involvement, and can save time for guests. When implementing vending machines to spaces, an additional strategy must be in place for cleaning prominent machine touchpoints.

Robots
Before COVID-19, a handful of operators were testing technology’s role in an advancing society. Now brands, like The Tea Terrace in London, have gone one step further by introducing robot servers as a way to completely eliminate server-to-guest contamination.

F&B Partnerships
Airline lounges and other spaces with a plethora of of F&B options surrounding them may find opportunities for exclusive partnerships that can minimize BOH needs and provide additional delivery methods for guests.

Food Pre-Orders
Airline lounges could explore app capabilities that might enable guests to pre-order their meals. This could enable BOH to make orders at scale, while providing a hospitable meal to the guest upon arrival.