The "all-you-can-eat buffet" craze is spreading across major French cities.

From the suburbs to the city center, all-you-can-eat buffets are becoming a new part of French culinary culture: a place where people rediscover the feeling of being able to eat to their heart's content, to have choices, and to share.

According to "Le Monde," once popular around shopping centers and suburbs, all-you-can-eat buffet restaurants are now beginning to spill over into the centers of major cities like Paris, Lyon, and Bordeaux, offering a culinary experience that combines satiety, fun, and affordability – a formula that is winning over both young people and French families.

In Paris, the restaurant “Envie Le Banquet,” which opened in September near Place de l'Republique, is creating a buzz on social media with prices of 37 euros (42.6 USD) for lunch and 54 euros for dinner.

The owner, 31-year-old Eloi Spinnler, a popular chef on TikTok and Instagram, has created a "nostalgic dining" space with Art Deco lighting, a snake-patterned mosaic floor, and a buffet-style counter.

"The great thing is you can sample everything you like," shared Garance Zacharias, 22, a tourist from Montpellier, after three rounds of food.

Envie isn't the only example; "buffet à volonté" (all-you-can-eat) models are flourishing everywhere. From "Les Grands Buffets de Narbonne"—a self-service culinary haven attracting 400,000 diners annually—to "Les Grands Buffets lyonnais" and "Brique Machine Refill Club" in Paris, a host of new restaurants are capitalizing on the appeal of this model to attract customers during a time when the food service industry is facing many difficulties.

According to François Blouin, director of the consulting firm Food Service Vision, “All-you-can-eat buffets give customers a sense of ‘value for money’ – a crucial factor when many people complain about the price-to-portion ratio in traditional restaurants. It contrasts with the trend of small portions in bistronomy, which frustrates diners.”

At a time when restaurants are losing customers, the buffet model revives the spirit of community, offering a fun and cozy dining experience. Images of the abundant and colorful food stalls spread rapidly online, creating an attractive effect. "Buffets are places where everyone can find something they like, suitable for all tastes, religions, or dietary preferences – perfect for large gatherings," Blouin analyzed.

In Lyon, Farid Mezaber, owner of the restaurant “Les Grands Buffets lyonnais” where lunch costs 29 euros, said: “We expected customers to eat twice as much as usual, but in reality, it was four times as much – an average of four appetizers and four main courses per person.”

According to him, the secret to profitability lies in the large scale of service (1,500 customers per week), low ingredient costs (60% of dishes are made from pork), and a high beverage order rate (up to 95%).

Also in Paris, Baptiste Dufossez, owner of the "Brique Machine Refill Club" restaurant, had to adjust his menu after opening to improve quality and control costs. "Now I'm achieving a net revenue 30% higher than with the old model," he revealed. With an area of ​​1,200 square meters, the restaurant serves pizza, salads, fried chicken, fried squid, and more for just 19 euros per lunch, attracting thousands of customers every week.

The biggest problem with the buffet model is the risk of food waste. Many restaurants have implemented subtle deterrents: at Envie, customers are photographed immediately if they finish all the food on their plate; at Boulom, a €36 buffet in Paris's 18th arrondissement, leftovers are weighed and charged €2 per 100 grams. Chefs have also creatively recycled food – crushed leftovers are used to make cheesecake bases, chicken bones are used to make broth, and leftover vegetables are transformed into pizza toppings.

While there is still debate about whether "eating until you're full equates to eating well," some chefs, such as Julien Duboué at Boulom restaurant, have proven otherwise.

With a diverse menu featuring Southwestern regional specialties such as lamb roasted in a bread oven, duck sausage, or beef ribs braised overnight, he transformed the buffet into a truly authentic culinary experience, combining traditional elements with visual appeal to impress diners.

From the suburbs to the city center, all-you-can-eat buffets are becoming a new part of French culinary culture: a place where people rediscover the feeling of being able to eat their fill, to choose, and to share – an experience that is both affordable and reflects the current economic crisis.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/con-sot-buffet-an-tha-cua-lan-khap-cac-thanh-pho-lon-cua-phap-post1074529.vnp