# What's to stop someone from staying at an all-you can eat buffet forever? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 10, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142 "2005-05-10T00:05:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142/1 "2005-05-10T00:05:33Z")
Scenerio: A 24 hour all you can eat buffet. What’s to stop an unscrupulous customer from staying there for days, weeks, or months on end, and saying he hasn’t finished eating? ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142/2 "2005-05-10T00:13:53Z")
Have you been reading [Dilbert](http://dilbert.com/comics/dilbert/the_characters/html/character3.html#mom)? ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142/3 "2005-05-10T00:19:33Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > What’s to stop an unscrupulous customer from staying . . . and saying he hasn’t finished eating? The manager? (“We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone,” etc.) If you’re being a pig and cutting into their bottom line, they can throw you out. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142/4 "2005-05-10T00:20:10Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > Scenerio: A 24 hour all you can eat buffet. Do any such actually exist? ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142/5 "2005-05-10T00:21:39Z")
I’ve heard at least one instance (via a recollection from a friend) of a manager intervening. I’m almost certain I’ve read something similar here. Perhaps they’d throw in something like, “This is an All-You-Can-Eat” restaurant, and _that_ is _all_ you can eat!". ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142/6 "2005-05-10T00:23:21Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > What’s to stop an unscrupulous customer from staying there for days, weeks, or months on end, and saying he hasn’t finished eating? The manager. I’ve known people who have been kicked out of ‘all-you-can-eat’ places for going back to the line too many times. ‘All-you-can-eat’ doesn’t really mean that—it means ‘all-you-can-eat within limits that we’ve predetermined to be reasonable, and which are consistent with our expected profit margins’. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142/7 "2005-05-10T00:28:53Z")
I’d think if you were to stay there for days, weeks, or months on end, then essentially you are living there. I’d say once you fall asleep, the deal is off. Manager to sleeping customer: “If you are not done eating, please say so?” No response from customer. Manager: “Then your finished.” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142/8 "2005-05-10T00:36:02Z")
What they said. Empty the crab leg bowl more than twice, and you will be told to depart. Trust me on this. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Carroll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tom\_Carroll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Carroll)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142/9 "2005-05-10T02:44:48Z")
I ate at an all-you-can-eat chinese seafood resturant in Saudi Arabia called “Silver Tower.” I ate all the lobster tails they had on their buffet and complained to my friend they should make more. A waiter came to our table and asked if I was the one who ate all the lobster tails. I told him, “Yes.” He said, “Don’t worry! We’re cooking more. They will be out soon.” That was the best resturant I ever visited. I guess when you’re making so much money in oil who cares how much you eat! ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142/10 "2005-05-10T02:57:57Z")
[[John Pinette](http://www.johnpinette.com/) ] You go home now! You been here three hours! You go home![/JP] ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142/11 "2005-05-10T07:24:12Z")
All-you-can-eat (and all-you-can-drink!) places are relatively common in Japan. Their approach is to put a time-limit it, usually right outside on the sign. Mmmmm… Mo-mo Paradise… mmmmmm… Another consideration, of course, is that they’d probably be quite jusitifed in turfing you out when you fell asleep, unless you have some plan for hiding off in a corner where they can’t find you. It’s hard to argue that you haven’t finished when you’re asleep. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142/12 "2005-05-10T07:35:54Z")
How many times is a reasonable number to go back for more food? I usually go two times, the initial time and then go back one time for more. Three times max. ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142/13 "2005-05-10T08:30:18Z")
I went to a Pizza Hut with eight other guys from my gym to celebrate the first day of bulking season. We had six extra large pizzas, after which we proceeded to pretty much empty out the salad bar. We got kicked out after trying to attack the salad bar a second time, after they’d replaced everything we ate. ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142/14 "2005-05-10T12:27:21Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > [[John Pinette](http://www.johnpinette.com/) ] You go home now! You been here three hours! You go home![/JP] _Four_ hours. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142/15 "2005-05-10T13:35:22Z")
> [@Cerowyn](#): > > All-you-can-eat (and all-you-can-drink!) places are relatively common in Japan. Their approach is to put a time-limit it, usually right outside on the sign. Mmmmm… Mo-mo Paradise… mmmmmm… I read about these and their popularity amongst Japanese business men who found themselves out of work and unable to help themselves. ---
**Author:** ![\_len](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/c0e974/32.png) [@\_len](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_len)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142/16 "2005-05-10T13:36:12Z")
I visited an AYCE Chinese buffet with several football players from the U of Miami, and we all got kicked out after emptying the chicken wing bar for the sixth time. As I recall, the manager was reduced to saying “Go. Just go.” Len ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142/17 "2005-05-10T13:47:26Z")
> [@scott evil](#): > > _Four_ hours. 😃 DOH! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142/18 "2005-05-10T14:05:07Z")
> [@pool](#): > > How many times is a reasonable number to go back for more food? > > I usually go two times, the initial time and then go back one time for more. > Three times max. I decided years ago that for the safety of myself and my family, I wasn’t allowed to make any return trips to an all-you-can-eat buffett (the one exception: Vegas). I get one pass through. The plate will be a towering mountain, but one pass only! Otherwise I would be there all day, and live a much shorter life. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142/19 "2005-05-10T14:18:42Z")
Tough one to call: in the landmark case [Simpson vs. The Frying Dutchman](http://www.snpp.com/episodes/9F06.html), the court ruled in Homer’s favor. But with the voice of legal superstar Lionel Hutz now deceased, a similar case might turn out different. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142/20 "2005-05-10T14:33:32Z")
Yeah, they’ll throw you out. My grandpa got kicked out of an all you can eat pancake place once. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-to-stop-someone-from-staying-at-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet-forever/303142.md?page=2)