No-Carb Eating Couple Booted From Buffet

[Sorcha Griannon]

What do you think?

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...rom_buffet&e=5

By CHRISTIE L. HILL, Associated Press Writer

SALT LAKE CITY - A couple on the Atkins Diet have a beef with a local restaurant after being booted from the buffet for eating too much meat.



Isabelle Leota, 29, and her husband Sui Amaama, 26, both on the no-carb diet, were dining Tuesday at a Chuck-A-Rama in the Salt Lake City suburb of Taylorsville when the manager cut them off because they'd eaten too much roast beef.


"It's so embarrassing actually," said Leota. "We went in to have dinner, we were under the impression Chuck-A-Rama was an all you can eat establishment."


Not so, said Jack Johanson, the restaurant chain's district manager.


"We've never claimed to be an all-you-can-eat establishment," said Johanson. "Our understanding is a buffet is just a style of eating."


The general manager was carving the meat, and became concerned about having enough for other patrons, Johanson said. So when Amaama went up for his 12th slice, the manager asked Amaama to stop.


Offended by the request, the couple argued with the manager, then asked for a refund. The manager refused, and when the couple refused to leave, he called police.


"I really feel like we were discriminated against, I feel like we were treated unfairly," said Leota.


The restaurant's roast beef is cooked overnight and takes between 12 and 14 hours to cook, Johanson said. Depending on the location, a Chuck-A-Rama may have only between one and five roasts each day.


But Johanson said the manager offered plenty of other buffet items for the couple to choose from.


The couple are finishing their second week of the Atkins Diet, which requires taking in little to no carbohydrates, and they eat at Chuck-A-Rama's $8.99 buffet at least twice a week because of its convenience.


"You can just go there and just eat meat," said Leota, a mother of two.


Johanson said there's no written policy for what patrons can or can't eat, or for the size of their portions. But the restaurant reserves the right to talk to patrons if they abuse the buffet — a rare occurrence, he said.


The couple said they won't return to the restaurant.


"I don't have any desire to go there ever again," said Leota.

[Psyche]

I am not sure what to think other than I do think it should have been handled differently.
*ponders*

[Isabelle Fawkes]

My experience with "buffet" (here in Texas) is you pay for the buffet...you eat whatever you want from the choices provided. Most restaurants that offer a buffet menu allow their patrons the choice of eating what they like off the buffet line. If the establishment had restrictions they should have made it clear to their clientele (sp?)


Isa

[Malina]

Very strange! Being a vegetarian I'm just the opposite but I've never had a buffet type restaurant tell me to stop eating their broccoli. If it ever did happen I would NEVER go back to the place.

[Rose N. Crantz]

Wow. That's like 15 minutes from me. How strange.

[lavender r dragon]

i thought a buffet was always all you can eat of anything (but i could be wrong). if they wanted to limit the roast beef they should state that from the beginning

[Donnaccia]

Um, okayyyy...

I think I may have raised an eyebrow myself after his 12th piece!

What the hell was he doing with it? Making a meat hat??? Christ on a crutch...

Everything in moderation people. Everything in moderation. Even if he was getting it for both him AND his wife. That's STILL 6 slabs of beef each. And those buffets are not known for their thin slicing styles.

Those must have been some hungry people...or really big meat hats.

Silly. The whole thing is just silly. And quite frankly, I think I would question whether or not they were ACTUALLY on Atkins. Even with the high quantities of meat, there HAS to be some kind of portioning--or people would just eat themselves to DEATH. Anyone think that maybe they were just being greedy and used the Atkins thing as a cover?

I'm just sayin'...

[Rose N. Crantz]

What the hell was he doing with it? Making a meat hat???

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

And quite frankly, I think I would question whether or not they were ACTUALLY on Atkins. Even with the high quantities of meat, there HAS to be some kind of portioning--or people would just eat themselves to DEATH. Anyone think that maybe they were just being greedy and used the Atkins thing as a cover?

I was wondering this myself. But regardless...it's a buffet. If I want to build a meat hat out of 12 steaks, I paid my dues at the door.

[Pamela, Strawberry Tart]

And quite frankly, I think I would question whether or not they were ACTUALLY on Atkins. Even with the high quantities of meat, there HAS to be some kind of portioning--or people would just eat themselves to DEATH. Anyone think that maybe they were just being greedy and used the Atkins thing as a cover?

I totally agree with you. 12 portions? Even with that being halved for him and his wife, that's still a heck of a lot of cow.

Let me also point out that they eat there "twice a week," making it sound like they've been making meat hats for a long time, but they're only on their SECOND week of Atkins. Sounds a bit fishy to me.

Yes, it's a buffet. Yes, they paid for the ability to graze on the buffet, but if it doesn't say "all you can eat buffet" it doesn't legally mean that they can gorge to the detriment of the other guests' dining experience.

*shudder* 12 slabs of beef. My arteries are cringing.

[Donnaccia]

Yes, it's a buffet. Yes, they paid for the ability to graze on the buffet, but if it doesn't say "all you can eat buffet" it doesn't legally mean that they can gorge to the detriment of the other guests' dining experience.

THANK you, 'Tart. That's what I was thinking, but for some reason it wouldn't make a cohesive sentence in my head.

I think I got on the whole Meat Hat tangent, and the whole thing just went right to hell. :D