A Texas institution is about to be history.
https://www.kvue.com/mobile/article/money/business/texas-restaurant-chain-lubys-to-be-liquidated-dissolved/285-7d141208-861c-41de-b19f-ae91b1baeec5?fbclid=IwAR3L4FWuv6_EMoM8E4VTaRq7abiXX_RrDCE6lmYmp8GBMfH_gr87gLDhUIk
A Luby's/Fuddruckers combo opened here in a Mississippi a few years ago. They've been closed since the pandemic started.
Quote from: golden eagle on September 09, 2020, 06:33:08 PM
A Texas institution is about to be history.
https://www.kvue.com/mobile/article/money/business/texas-restaurant-chain-lubys-to-be-liquidated-dissolved/285-7d141208-861c-41de-b19f-ae91b1baeec5?fbclid=IwAR3L4FWuv6_EMoM8E4VTaRq7abiXX_RrDCE6lmYmp8GBMfH_gr87gLDhUIk
A Luby's/Fuddruckers combo opened here in a Mississippi a few years ago. They've been closed since the pandemic started.
Just makes me think how many of these big companies were actually smoke and mirrors. They couldn't last a pandemic despite how much money they have made for years.
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on September 09, 2020, 07:13:53 PM
Quote from: golden eagle on September 09, 2020, 06:33:08 PM
A Texas institution is about to be history.
https://www.kvue.com/mobile/article/money/business/texas-restaurant-chain-lubys-to-be-liquidated-dissolved/285-7d141208-861c-41de-b19f-ae91b1baeec5?fbclid=IwAR3L4FWuv6_EMoM8E4VTaRq7abiXX_RrDCE6lmYmp8GBMfH_gr87gLDhUIk
A Luby's/Fuddruckers combo opened here in a Mississippi a few years ago. They've been closed since the pandemic started.
Just makes me think how many of these big companies were actually smoke and mirrors. They couldn't last a pandemic despite how much money they have made for years.
One less place where you can get a decent hamburger for a low price anymore. Sad to see it go.
I really liked Luby's. There used to be one in Mission, Kansas, but it closed a long time ago. Why is it so hard to find a good cafeteria/buffet?
(Although, honestly, that wouldn't be my eatery of choice during the pandemic.)
Quote from: stridentweasel on September 10, 2020, 11:10:02 AM
I really liked Luby's. There used to be one in Mission, Kansas, but it closed a long time ago. Why is it so hard to find a good cafeteria/buffet?
(Although, honestly, that wouldn't be my eatery of choice during the pandemic.)
You don't like Ryan's (Shawnee)?
(Man, I remember a good buffet somewhere in Mission–one that I swear my grandfather single-handedly kept in business. Maybe you can blame its demise on his dying years ago. I believe I'm thinking of the Souper Salad that used to be on Johnson Drive between Metcalf and Lamar. Since then, I believe it was razed, turned into a used car dealership, razed again, and had a Pie Five built in its place–which has since closed as well.)
Will it be Razed?
Quote from: kphoger on September 10, 2020, 11:28:02 AM
You don't like Ryan's (Shawnee)?
Ryan's is fine. I just wish it had more competitors in the same market segment.
Quote
(Man, I remember a good buffet somewhere in Mission–one that I swear my grandfather single-handedly kept in business. Maybe you can blame its demise on his dying years ago. I believe I'm thinking of the Souper Salad that used to be on Johnson Drive between Metcalf and Lamar. Since then, I believe it was razed, turned into a used car dealership, razed again, and had a Pie Five built in its place–which has since closed as well.)
That's sad. I didn't know about that location, but I do remember a Souper Salad right next to Oak Park Mall at 95th and Quivira. I've also been to a Souper Salad in Albuquerque.
Apparently, they still exist! https://soupersalad.com/ But when I click on "Locations," I only see two in Texas and that's it.
Quote from: kphoger on September 10, 2020, 11:28:02 AM
Quote from: stridentweasel on September 10, 2020, 11:10:02 AM
I really liked Luby's. There used to be one in Mission, Kansas, but it closed a long time ago. Why is it so hard to find a good cafeteria/buffet?
(Although, honestly, that wouldn't be my eatery of choice during the pandemic.)
You don't like Ryan's (Shawnee)?
Ryan's is awful.
(Man, I remember a good buffet somewhere in Mission–one that I swear my grandfather single-handedly kept in business. Maybe you can blame its demise on his dying years ago. I believe I'm thinking of the Souper Salad that used to be on Johnson Drive between Metcalf and Lamar. Since then, I believe it was razed, turned into a used car dealership, razed again, and had a Pie Five built in its place–which has since closed as well.)
Quote from: golden eagle on September 10, 2020, 03:05:09 PM
Quote from: kphoger on September 10, 2020, 11:28:02 AM
Quote from: stridentweasel on September 10, 2020, 11:10:02 AM
I really liked Luby's. There used to be one in Mission, Kansas, but it closed a long time ago. Why is it so hard to find a good cafeteria/buffet?
(Although, honestly, that wouldn't be my eatery of choice during the pandemic.)
You don't like Ryan's (Shawnee)?
(Man, I remember a good buffet somewhere in Mission–one that I swear my grandfather single-handedly kept in business. Maybe you can blame its demise on his dying years ago. I believe I'm thinking of the Souper Salad that used to be on Johnson Drive between Metcalf and Lamar. Since then, I believe it was razed, turned into a used car dealership, razed again, and had a Pie Five built in its place–which has since closed as well.)
Ryan's is awful.
Fixed your quote string.
Also...
Quote from: stridentweasel on September 10, 2020, 12:32:30 PM
Ryan's is fine.
Quote from: stridentweasel on September 10, 2020, 11:10:02 AM
Why is it so hard to find a good cafeteria/buffet?
(Although, honestly, that wouldn't be my eatery of choice during the pandemic.)
Answered your own question right there...
Even before the pandemic, cleanliness and food safety standards have long been a concern at buffets. You don't know how long the food has been sitting out, or who's coughed on it; cooking batches of food that may or may not get eaten and replacing it before it goes stale gets pretty expensive, so a lot of buffet managers tend to let it slide. (I remember reading a joke in
MAD Magazine when I was a kid along the lines of "June 24: For the third straight day, buffet owner Herman considers replacing the tuna salad, but instead opts to just add more mayonnaise.")
That, and I've found buffets are usually pretty expensive. Instead of being able to get a little bit of a lot of different types of so-so food, I'd rather order a single really good entree, then come back another day to try something else. (Or get the same thing I always like! I'm planning to order takeout from an Asian restaurant later tonight–I'm going to get their chicken fried rice, because it's the best chicken fried rice in town. How could I possibly turn that down and order something else from them?)
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 10, 2020, 04:22:11 PM
That, and I've found buffets are usually pretty expensive.
I know of a Chinese buffet in Lawrence, MA that's $8.29 all day on Mondays and Wednesdays (pre-COVID), which is also their regular lunch price. It's a low-end buffet, though. Most reviews said "good at this price, but it's not worth going at full dinner price".
A true cafeteria, though, is largely a thing of generations gone by.
Quote from: kphoger on September 10, 2020, 04:37:43 PM
A true cafeteria, though, is largely a thing of generations gone by.
"Cafeteria" in my mind always calls up my elementary school cafeteria, where you grab a carton of milk, then go through the line while a team of lunch ladies assemble a tray for you that you get at the end. Sometimes you had options you could specify, but usually not. Is that how "true cafeteria" restaurants used to operate?
I suppose Subway and Qdoba are quasi-cafeteria-like in some respects (in that you go through the line and the people behind the glass are assembling your order as you progress).
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 10, 2020, 04:48:58 PM
Quote from: kphoger on September 10, 2020, 04:37:43 PM
A true cafeteria, though, is largely a thing of generations gone by.
"Cafeteria" in my mind always calls up my elementary school cafeteria, where you grab a carton of milk, then go through the line while a team of lunch ladies assemble a tray for you that you get at the end. Sometimes you had options you could specify, but usually not. Is that how "true cafeteria" restaurants used to operate?
I suppose Subway and Qdoba are quasi-cafeteria-like in some respects (in that you go through the line and the people behind the glass are assembling your order as you progress).
On the other hand, university dining halls are probably still often called "cafeterias," but they typically operate more like all-you-can-eat buffets, where you use a pre-paid pass or pay an entry fee at the gate, and then you get unlimited access to the salad bar, entrees, desserts, beverages, etc., until they close. Some are quite good.
Also, I get your point about why cafeterias and buffets are becoming harder to find, but I will say one thing: the Iron Skillet breakfast buffet was one of my favorite things to do every week or two when I had my big-money job, and it only cost about $10.
When Ryan's was in Ruston, it was more "miss" than "hit". The bathrooms were 3rd world in nature, and sometimes that odor would intermingle with the dining room.
I did not shed a tear when they closed for good.
Quote from: kphoger on September 10, 2020, 04:37:43 PM
A true cafeteria, though, is largely a thing of generations gone by.
Here's another place that held great buffet memories for lots of South Dakota folks: https://siouxfalls.business/royal-fork-buffet-to-close-permanently/
After the last location in Sioux Falls closed, the owners were sharing recipes of some of the favorite dishes of the place, such as the tomato soup. But while it's disappointing to see places like this close, COVID-19 pretty much will ensure that buffets will be relegated to Las Vegas and Asian places.
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 10, 2020, 04:48:58 PM
Quote from: kphoger on September 10, 2020, 04:37:43 PM
A true cafeteria, though, is largely a thing of generations gone by.
"Cafeteria" in my mind always calls up my elementary school cafeteria, where you grab a carton of milk, then go through the line while a team of lunch ladies assemble a tray for you that you get at the end. Sometimes you had options you could specify, but usually not. Is that how "true cafeteria" restaurants used to operate?
I suppose Subway and Qdoba are quasi-cafeteria-like in some respects (in that you go through the line and the people behind the glass are assembling your order as you progress).
True cafeteria style restaurants had a long line buffet style bar (I mean long), where you were on one side with a tray and the cooks and workers were on the other. As you progressed down the bar, the normal timeline of food consumption would appear in front of you (first things you see are a variety of salads, then fruit salads, then the main course, then sides, then desserts, then drinks) as you moved toward the end of the bar where the till was. Each "section" had 5-10 choices to chose from (like main course could be Salisbury steak, chicken fried steak, fried chicken, fried fish, ect.). You picked out what you wanted per the options laid before you. Then you get to the till and the cashier would ring it up for you. You take your tray to your table and you eat, most of the time, never seeing a waiter or waitress. Cafeteria style means you can pick and chose what you want to go with your meal from salad to dessert from a line, instead of talking to a waiter or waitress.
Luby's may be a Texas thing, and people may love it, but when it came to cafeteria style restaurants, I was always first a Furr's guy. Everyone else can have Luby's.
Casino buffets are usually pretty good, and reasonably priced if you go at lunch or even for dinner early in the week (as in, not the seafood/prime rib nights late in the week).
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on September 09, 2020, 07:13:53 PM
Quote from: golden eagle on September 09, 2020, 06:33:08 PM
A Texas institution is about to be history.
https://www.kvue.com/mobile/article/money/business/texas-restaurant-chain-lubys-to-be-liquidated-dissolved/285-7d141208-861c-41de-b19f-ae91b1baeec5?fbclid=IwAR3L4FWuv6_EMoM8E4VTaRq7abiXX_RrDCE6lmYmp8GBMfH_gr87gLDhUIk
A Luby's/Fuddruckers combo opened here in a Mississippi a few years ago. They've been closed since the pandemic started.
Just makes me think how many of these big companies were actually smoke and mirrors. They couldn't last a pandemic despite how much money they have made for years.
Most businesses survive on thin margins, and try to make up for it in volume. The restaurant business has thin margins to begin with and a high rate of closures during a normal year. Even your large grocer has some of the thinnest margins you'll find anywhere. Interestingly enough, grocers have been able to make up for this in volume as they get classified as "essential" businesses, while restaurants are not.
Quote from: Brandon on September 12, 2020, 09:53:30 AM
Even your large grocer has some of the thinnest margins you'll find anywhere.
I've been told that the Stop & Shop I used to work at (24 aisles) makes $300,000 a year.
For a rough estimate of all the items on the shelves, $5 per item * 26 aisles (add a bit for the back row) * 2 (aisles are double-sided) * 40 ft (length of aisle) / 3 inches (average size of an item) * 5 shelves top-to-bottom * 5 items front-to-back ≈ $1M. This means that the value of the items on the shelves is worth more than the annual profit. If the gas line power outages had hit our store instead of the adjacent ones, all the refrigerated and frozen items would have gone, losing $1M * (5/26) ≈ $200,000 just for that one event. [5: 1 1/2 aisles produce, 1 1/2 aisles frozen, and the refrigerated back wall being equivalent to 2 aisles in size]
Quote from: stridentweasel on September 10, 2020, 12:32:30 PM
Quote from: kphoger on September 10, 2020, 11:28:02 AM
You don't like Ryan's (Shawnee)?
Ryan's is fine. I just wish it had more competitors in the same market segment.
Ryan's is no more, but it's been replaced with a cajun seafood restaurant (https://shawneemissionpost.com/2020/06/30/seafood-island-opens-cajun-style-restaurant-75th-and-nieman-in-shawnee-95657/). I haven't been there to try the food, but I wish them success, especially since they're opening in the middle of the pandemic.
(Interestingly, Google Maps still shows Ryan's as being open. (https://goo.gl/maps/JuZM6twXRvVu8FDD7))
I'm surprised Luby's didn't disappear right after the shooting.
I think places like this are casualties of the expansion of the standard American palate and vast changes in household roles. A cafeteria is great when most people only want certain kinds of foods - you stick to the classics like fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and Salisbury steak, and most diners 70 years ago would have been perfectly happy, especially when Mom just didn't want to cook that night.
Now, even fairly small towns have decent Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Mexican, and other once "exotic" options that most people would have found too unusual to eat. What's more, now that homemakers are relatively few (and entirely limited to the middle class and above who want trendy food to show their class status), the typical midcentury foods that take time to make aren't really common at home anymore, so a mildly better version of it isn't likely to draw interest. You'll need a top-notch version, one that comes with accordingly expensive ingredients.
The world is much different from when cafeterias and buffets were popular, especially with food.
I couldn't care less about Luby's going under with their complicated pricing and average food, but what upsets me is that Fuddruckers is going down. In my opinion they had the best burgers at any chain table-service restaurant, and I have fun memories at them.
Quote from: TXtoNJ on September 13, 2020, 07:54:21 PM
I think places like this are casualties of the expansion of the standard American palate and vast changes in household roles. A cafeteria is great when most people only want certain kinds of foods - you stick to the classics like fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and Salisbury steak, and most diners 70 years ago would have been perfectly happy, especially when Mom just didn't want to cook that night.
Now, even fairly small towns have decent Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Mexican, and other once "exotic" options that most people would have found too unusual to eat. What's more, now that homemakers are relatively few (and entirely limited to the middle class and above who want trendy food to show their class status), the typical midcentury foods that take time to make aren't really common at home anymore, so a mildly better version of it isn't likely to draw interest. You'll need a top-notch version, one that comes with accordingly expensive ingredients.
The world is much different from when cafeterias and buffets were popular, especially with food.
Nah. Golden Corral is still stupidly popular.
Quote from: TXtoNJ on September 13, 2020, 07:54:21 PM
Now, even fairly small towns have decent Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Mexican, and other once "exotic" options that most people would have found too unusual to eat.
I'm amazed at the number of small towns that have Chinese/Asian and Mexican places, sometimes multiples of each, but you can't get a good steak or a diner-type short-order homecooking-style meal.
Locally, our main downtown restaurant that was known for years for its burgers and daily specials (their roast beef was awesome) is now a Mexican restaurant that still offers a few Anglo items.
I'm not a fan of that "exotic" stuff and am not really much of a fan of Mexican food, but I'm a sucker for something like chicken and dumplings, or turkey and dressing, or pork roast. Give me that with mashed potatoes, real green beans (not the shoestring type, but what you'd get fresh out of the garden), mac & cheese, and corn, and I'm happy.
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on September 13, 2020, 11:46:08 AM
I'm surprised Luby's didn't disappear right after the shooting.
The shooting in Killeen?
I'm pretty sure we've had exotic "Chinese" food since the 1950s.
Now trying to find authentic Central Asian cuisine, that's a challenge in some areas.
Quote from: golden eagle on September 17, 2020, 11:27:29 PM
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on September 13, 2020, 11:46:08 AM
I'm surprised Luby's didn't disappear right after the shooting.
The shooting in Killeen?
Yes (for reference): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luby%27s_shooting
Quote from: hbelkins on September 14, 2020, 01:27:35 PM
Quote from: TXtoNJ on September 13, 2020, 07:54:21 PM
Now, even fairly small towns have decent Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Mexican, and other once "exotic" options that most people would have found too unusual to eat.
I'm amazed at the number of small towns that have Chinese/Asian and Mexican places, sometimes multiples of each, but you can't get a good steak or a diner-type short-order homecooking-style meal.
Locally, our main downtown restaurant that was known for years for its burgers and daily specials (their roast beef was awesome) is now a Mexican restaurant that still offers a few Anglo items.
I'm not a fan of that "exotic" stuff and am not really much of a fan of Mexican food, but I'm a sucker for something like chicken and dumplings, or turkey and dressing, or pork roast. Give me that with mashed potatoes, real green beans (not the shoestring type, but what you'd get fresh out of the garden), mac & cheese, and corn, and I'm happy.
Oklahoma is headquarters to numerous examples:
Braum's
Boom-A-Rang
Sonic
And those are three of many.
Classic Food is not going any where.
Try ordering a pork roast from one of those places and see how it goes. :P
Quote from: hbelkins on September 14, 2020, 01:27:35 PM
Quote from: TXtoNJ on September 13, 2020, 07:54:21 PM
Now, even fairly small towns have decent Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Mexican, and other once "exotic" options that most people would have found too unusual to eat.
I'm amazed at the number of small towns that have Chinese/Asian and Mexican places, sometimes multiples of each, but you can't get a good steak or a diner-type short-order homecooking-style meal.
Locally, our main downtown restaurant that was known for years for its burgers and daily specials (their roast beef was awesome) is now a Mexican restaurant that still offers a few Anglo items.
I'm not a fan of that "exotic" stuff and am not really much of a fan of Mexican food, but I'm a sucker for something like chicken and dumplings, or turkey and dressing, or pork roast. Give me that with mashed potatoes, real green beans (not the shoestring type, but what you'd get fresh out of the garden), mac & cheese, and corn, and I'm happy.
Chinese and Mexican food is cheap as hell. That's why they are all over the place.
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 25, 2020, 01:31:41 PM
Try ordering a pork roast from one of those places and see how it goes. :P
Yeah. I never heard of Boom-A-Rang, but I definitely know the other two are more or less burger places.
Now, you can get a pot roast sandwich at Culver's, but I've never had it.
It's a small chain of sit-down restaurants in Oklahoma (many of their locations in smaller towns, but there's one in Norman too) that mimics a 1950s diner aesthetic. Primarily classic American food. It's good enough that it's probably the best restaurant in a lot of the towns it's located in. But they don't serve pork roast.