The first thing that catches your eye when you walk into any cafeteria is the sheer array of food: from a fresh salad bar to a hot entrée to a tempting dessert section, it's almost impossible to know where to start. Buffets have become an indispensable part of modern food culture with their convenience, speed and variety. Whether it's a family gathering, a gathering of friends, or a business dinner, the buffet always has something for everyone.
As buffets become more and more popular with the public, "eating back" has become a hidden psychological tactic for many diners to go to the banquet. As you can imagine, you can enjoy all kinds of delicious food here until you are satisfied. However, many people find that every time they walk into the cafeteria with the determination of "must eat back" and pick up the first bite of food with anticipation, they quickly feel an unexpected feeling of fullness. I thought I could eat a mountain at first, but how did I feel like I had eaten a mountain in an instant?
Behind this lies the well-designed "routine" of buffet owners, who use a variety of strategies to satisfy diners' demand for a variety of options while cleverly controlling costs, ultimately achieving a win-win situation. Next, let's uncover the secret of the buffet that you are not afraid of eating back, and find out what clever "routines" the bosses have used to make you fall into their gentle trap unconsciously.
"Routine" 1: Layout and placement skills
The cafeteria owners carefully designed the order of placement and color matching, which subtly influenced the choice of customers and the amount of food. Upon entering, customers are often greeted by brightly coloured cold cuts and salad sections, which are not only colourful and eye-catching, but also allow customers to fill up plenty of plate space at the outset. These foods are usually rich in water and fiber, which tends to give a person an initial feeling of fullness. As customers go deeper, they gradually come into contact with more expensive staples and meat areas. This layout strategy cleverly guides customers to encounter more tempting but more costly foods when they are already a little satisfied, thus effectively controlling costs.
"Routine" 2: The clever use of satiety food
Another trick to control costs in buffets is to cleverly add plenty of highly filling foods to the menu, such as pasta, potato products, etc. Not only are these foods relatively inexpensive, but they also quickly satisfy customers. Pasta and potatoes are rich in carbohydrates and can quickly increase blood sugar levels, which can lead to a quick feeling of fullness. With this strategy, the cafeteria is able to control the average cost of ingredients per customer while maintaining customer satisfaction.
"Routine" three: the application of "black technology".
Some cafeterias even employ even more ingenious "hacks" – such as adding special ingredients to ingredients, such as compressed biscuit foam, which expands in the stomach and greatly increases the feeling of fullness. Although this practice is not widely adopted in the industry, it does have some places that do not hesitate to use this method to achieve the goal of making customers feel satisfied quickly in order to control costs. This approach does reduce the cost of ingredients while increasing customer satiety, but it also sparks discussions about food safety and integrity.
"Eating back" at a buffet doesn't mean eating as much as you can, it's about eating smart and making sure every bite is worth your money. Here are some tips and suggestions for smartly "eating back" at the buffet:
Prioritize high-cost ingredients: Generally speaking, the cost of ingredients such as seafood, steak, and lamb chops is relatively high. Prioritizing these nutritious and high-value foods in the buffet can make your consumption more worthwhile.
Avoid filler foods: Try to eat less or avoid foods that are quick to satiety but are less expensive, such as bread, potatoes, and other foods that are high in carbohydrates. These foods tend to make you feel full quickly, but they're not the best value option.
Try in moderation: The buffet offers a great opportunity to try new foods, but it's recommended to take them in moderation. If it's your first time trying a certain food, take less to make sure you don't waste it because you don't like it.
Take advantage of beverage strategies: Some buffets include beverages. Choose some relatively high-cost beverages, such as red wine, coffee, etc., instead of free plain water or cheap carbonated drinks.
The balance between the business wisdom of the buffet and the consumption psychology of the customers aims to achieve a win-win situation where customers enjoy a value-for-money dining experience, while merchants achieve continued success and profitability by providing quality service and food. In this process, whether it is a buffet owner or a diner, understanding and learning these "routines" will have a positive impact on each other and jointly promote the healthy development of the catering industry.