Problem 2: Suggest solutions for the operations of a buffet restaurant in order to deal with

customers who eat too slowly, too much, and stay the whole day.

Usually, many people love to eat buffet because of the cheap price and the variety of
dishes, from the main course to dessert, and at the same time they can eat as much as they
want and there is no time limit with only a fixed amount of money, so there will be many
people who want to eat the most and stay the longest with the thought in their heads is to
reduce costs. With the presence of so many types of customers, it can adversely affect the
sales and profits of the buffet restaurant. Here are some ways to solve the above
problems:

1. Limit meal time

Set a reasonable meal time, which can be limited to 1.5 hours to 2 hours, depending
on the buffet model and the dishes ordered at the restaurant. This time limit must be
advertised before customers purchase buffet tickets.

2. Combination of 2 models: Buffet and à la carte

Dishes with low cost, cheap prices or dishes that have the ability to cause satiety
quickly such as rice, fried dishes, and dishes that contain a lot of starch,... will be
placed in the buffet menu. The restaurant's signature dishes, which have a high price,
are placed on the à la carte menu.

3. Selling a variety of drinks at high prices

During the buffet experience, customers cannot use drinks to refresh themselves, For
diners who are ready to spend a few hundred thousand VND for a buffet, ordering an
additional glass of water of 30,000 – 40,000 VND or a few special dishes for a perfect
extra meal is almost not worth it. Therefore, create a diverse drink menu that is
suitable for the buffet model at the restaurant, as well as those drinks must also help
complete and enhance the dining experience for diners.

4. Speed up the dish

The fact that guests stay for a long time can stem from the restaurant's slow cooking,
which can make guests sit longer to wait to enjoy those dishes, thus, serving quickly
with food that is always ready will help customers quickly fill their stomachs and
leave satisfied. As a result, the buffet restaurant will serve more customers, increasing
revenue and profit.
 5. Smart layout and arrangement
Many restaurants are also smart when applying various forms of arrangement to reduce
diners' desire and reduce the time spent in the restaurant. Some examples include
designing seating positions far away from food shelves, uncomfortably narrow tables and
chairs, delaying cleaning to create the impression that diners have eaten too much,... All
of them require restaurant owners to be really knowledgeable to be able to apply tactics
to hit the psychology of customers effectively, avoiding causing discomfort and
dissatisfaction for customers.

6. Priority is given to serving greasy, starchy and vegetable dishes

Ordinary greasy and vegetable dishes will attract quite a lot of diners because of their
appearance, deliciousness and ease of eating, these dishes are often characterized by
quickly causing boredom and bloating, making diners no longer interested in other
dishes, This will cause many guests to quickly finish their meal and leave.

7. Good control of input material costs

When building a menu, it is recommended to balance the mix between high-end dishes
and cheap budget dishes. Dishes such as bread, vegetables, salads or other side dishes are
ordinary dishes with cheap ingredients but are still chosen by diners.

In addition, seasonal food sources are often abundant, of good quality and cheaper. You
should make good use of these ingredients, both helping customers enjoy the freshest
dishes and solving the problem of raw material costs for buffet restaurants.

8. Additional Services
Encourage Short Meal Times: Offer coupons, small gifts, or promotions to customers
who complete the buffet in a short period of time