Sweet Tomatoes will close permanently

[Roland99]

https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/sweet-tomatoes-to-stay-closed-permanently-report-says.amp

ORLANDO, Fla. - Sweet Tomatoes will be keeping their door closed permanently after shutting down during the coronavirus pandemic, according to reports.

The buffet chain's parent company reportedly decided to close all 97 locations of Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes, including those in Florida. CEO John Haywood confirmed to the San Diego Union-Tribune on Thursday, People reported.

The move will affect more than 4,000 employees who will essentially be laid off.

...

Haywood said the company has been losing about $1 million a week after shutting down in mid-March due to the global pandemic.

$1 million/wk seems like small tomatoes, er, potatoes

But. As I’ve said before re: possible other companies (esp those undeserving of a bailout), someone else will buy up the assets and reopen as something else

[Arthur_Frain]

1. Lived in AK all of my adult life.

Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes were “must stops/first stops” anytime I visited the lower 48.

In the mid to late 80s, Wendy’s had destroyed their premium salad bar by turning it into a “power bar” with tacos, and potatoes, and spaghetti, and pizza. There was only one other option there in Anchorage for a salad bar, and it was tiny, expensive, and hit or miss.

Over the course of 2 decades, the beginning of relaxation for every visit would generally hit me as I was enjoying a wonderful salad across the table from my mom at Souplantation. A ritual that will now never be repeated.

This is one of the things that we have lost forever due to the Covid-19 event. I don’t think I’ll ever again visit the buffet line even.

I wonder about Golden Corral. They’ve got the “screw u” attitude to bull ahead anyway for awhile, but I wonder at this point if the buffet restaurant is a totally failed business model?

[Cirque du So-What]

4. Biggest problem with the buffet model that I see

is the utensil for moving food from the container onto the customer's plate. Unless it's replaced constantly, it gets touched by many people. Will the restaurant provide sanitary gloves for each patron? Nowadays, there are too many peckerwoods who would complain that their personal freedoms were being violated. I doubt a corporate entity like Golden Corral would spring for additional employees to dispense portions wearing appropriate PPE.

Once restaurants reopen, I won't be visiting a buffet-style establishment for a while. A long while.

[SoCalNative]

5. You know, they deal with this on cruise ships all of the time

with the frequent noro and rotovirus outbreaks.

They keep the buffet open but patrons touch nothing. Plates and utensils are handed to you and the food is served by staff that stand at the various buffet stations. Even drinks are poured and served to you by staff.

So it seems that the buffet model could survive if the companies followed this course of action.

[Cirque du So-What]

6. Pretty big 'if'

Corporate restaurants are so mindful of profit margins that I can't envision them eating the cost of extra servers. They'll raise costs, assuredly.

[SoCalNative]

7. It wouldn't be extra servers

just re-assign the staff that they have. That's what they do on the ships.

[Arthur_Frain]

10. Well that's the one guarantee you can take away from all of this, unfortunately.

We will be footing the bill for whatever adjustments they make in the end.

[Arthur_Frain]

9. There are other issues with buffet lines.

The person behind me is usually breathing down my neck. 6 foot distancing in buffet lines isn’t going to work in greater ‘murica, I don’t think. Despite all of our armed citizens’ protestations to the contrary, we are not a very polite society. The “dick” moves I've seen people pull in buffet lines before don’t bode well for so called “social” distancing.

[Igel]

2. It's possible.

But most corporations have lost money.

And when they go to borrow, they're going to be competing for investor dollars.

More than likely there's going to be a downturn as the people who were most likely to eat out become those most afraid of COVID--those making money will find that they have more because they're spending half to a third as much on some meals, but service workers and the businesses that employed them will lose out.

This will cause some structural problems in the economy, as less skilled and less educated workers suddenly find that not only did we offshore manufacturing for better air and cheaper stuff here but now there's less demand for them dicing us onions and preparing our coffee.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

3. Damn. I liked them.

They had a great salad selection and interesting selection of pastas, breads and soups.

My kids loved the place and always wanted us to take them there.

Ironically, it was one of the last restaurants I ate in before the shutdown.

[BGBD]

8. Buffet model is dead

It can't work now.

Only two options I see for buffets would be to remove ability for public to get food directly and station servers behind the bars to hand it out as patrons come up.

or

Do it Brazillian steakhouse style where servers are constantly circulating with trays of certain foods to offer to tables.

[Progressive Law]

11. Buffets are getting hit hard. Many have turned to selling food by weight for takeout.

[jimfields33]

12. Lock down the country and of course this will happen.

Many more to come.