Hacker News Reader

Comment by willsmith72 | Hacker News Reader

> To avoid these situations, some owners have updated their language to “All-you-can-eat within reason"

That's just no fun, you lose all the upside. I hope they offer free doggy bags and takeaway for those who eat less than a reasonable amount

View on HN

>A woman was booted from a Golden Corral for eating all the brownies, then attempting to smuggle home extras in her purse.

This is the most hilarious tragedy of the commons I've ever heard of

So I guess you gotta do what you gotta do

I heard an AYCE story from a cruise ship between Finland and Sweden. Someone at a table of Germans (a rep for cheepnis) was seen tipping food from their plate into a handbag, obv for later consumption. So a waitress comes by and says "oh you'll want milk with that" and pours milk into the loaded bag.

All you can eat within reason is certainly lame.

Charging customers for food left on the plate is quite reasonable though. I’m sure a lot gets left on the plate and the waste must be nauseating.

> Charging customers for food left on the plate is quite reasonable though.

Is it though? What if the food quality is really low? As the article states, it's a place to get rid of some old food items. Do you think you have an obligation to eat it no matter what?

yes, it's totally reasonable. if you aren't sure you're going to like the food, start with a small taste. if you don't like any of the food, take the hit once and don't go back.

> Do you think you have an obligation to eat it no matter what?

No, just pay for the waste.

The article doesn't say the buffet is a place to get rid of old food items, it says that buffets have worked out strategies to get incorporate their own old food items.

Anyway, if you don't want to pay for wasting things you don't like, make your first plate a grazing/browsing sampler platter, then come back for the stuff you liked.

I think we just have a distinction here where the poster suggested charging for "food left on the plate"

Even in a case of "sampling" and finding things you didn't want to finish, you'd be charged. There can be a reasonable alternative.

> Do you think you have an obligation to eat it no matter what?

Only if you put it on your plate ;)

One guy I know got kicked because he showed up at noon and got kicked at 10PM when they wanted to close. He was mad that he could not stay and is mad 20 years later about it.

probably the same guy that buys socks with a "lifetime guarantee" and returns them 20yr later. Some people just get off on free stuff.

>Some people just get off on free stuff.

That is an understatement with that guy. I have been tempted to over the years to make a web comic on this guy. The junk he does most normal people would never even think of.

Lifetime guarantee is a shitty term. If they are saying it's for the lifetime of the product, then just be upfront and say what the expected lifetime of the product is, and guarantee it for that long.

I worked with a guy who would routinely get kicked out of AYCE restaurants and he seemed pretty cool with it. I think they'd usually kick him out after about an hour of dining.

Was it this guy: https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web...

hehe, it would not surprise me if he gave that a try.

Back in Austin, there was a small chain of Mongolian grill restaurants that offered AYCE dumplings with your meal that a friend and I often went to. My friend really liked the dumplings and once had about six refill plates of them.

The next time we went, they no longer offered AYCE dumplings.

The buffet has to make money too, otherwise they wouldn't exist. If you want doggy bags/takeaway just eat at a regular restaurant and pay per item.

Red Lobster decided to make its "All you can eat Shrimp" a permanent menu item. Turns out it cost them dearly. It was designed as a promotional loss leader, which doesn't work full time. They eventually had to creep the price up from $20 to $25.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com