When I walk into the dining room of the buffet, I am usually prepared to be swarmed by a sea of customers making their way to the stack of fried chicken that was just brought out.
I was not prepared to see three EMTs rush through the restaurant on their way to resuscitate an elderly customer who seemed to pass out in his plate of food.
Amidst the chaos of the two firetruck sirens and clashing dishes, I was shocked to see a group gorging themselves on chicken and pizza mere feet away from a man who was being carried out on a stretcher, a man who himself had been eating minutes ago.
Working at a buffet, you feed a lot of people, and you get used to the constant demand for food and the need to clear tables the never-ending stream of people who want to eat is tireless.
Seeing a customer nearly die while no one around them seemed to care made, reconsider my actions.
In its very nature, a buffet must be able to produce a lot of food, not necessary of quality. People come in large groups expecting there to be enough food for everyone to have seconds, thirds, fourths and dessert if they choose.
With so much food being served it’s, unavoidable that people are going to take more than they need or can finish. As a result, a concerning amount of food is thrown away, often untouched.
Buffets encourage overeating and wasteful practices. I have seen children throw up because their parents wanted them to eat more, when they clearly didn’t want to.
Seeing a store full of people continue to eat indifferently after that incident isn’t appetizing. I was told it was nothing to worry about, but I can’t help but think that I served someone a heart attack or contributed to a clogged artery.
For the same amount of money, a single, quality meal rather than something mass produced is sure to be equally fulfilling. But, buffets will surely continue to reap in massive crowds.
All I ask is that you clear off your plate first and to space out your servings. There will always be more food.