When is All You Can Eat "all you can eat"?

You've heard the term used a lot in buffet restaurants such as Country Buffet. But unlike Country Buffet whose business plan is to cater to those that want to eat all that they want some other restaurants also have single meal plates as well as buffet style. Aren't they asking for trouble by advertising ALL YOU CAN EAT and then really have a limit? Should they not define what they meant by ALL YOU CAN EAT by stating that you can only have two full plates and that is it?

Check this out from yahoo: 'Greedy' Eaters Banned from All-You-Can-Eat Deal

I don't know if what the owner stated was true about how they raced to eat everything before someone else could. But by appearances they kinda look immature - childish - so it might be possible the owner was correct.

However, Business Owners, if you want a ALL YOU CAN EAT buffet expect some who will take advantage. What have ye to say?

Some get more food than normal, while others "under-eat". It all evens out, imo.

Until you can't eat anymore.

its in one sitting, there are people who are broke goes in and rotate eating all day. while they spend time talking all they want while someone eats. honestly buffet places usually range would usually aim for under eaters. they don't have the right to ban them like that, unless law give them power to do so.

500 plates later.

Haha my friend is poor n always says he is hungry cuz all he has in his house is rice beans n noodles, so when he is going to a buffet with me I see him finish 5-8 plates, unbelievably yes! They are usually packed with food. So yea, an all you can eat basically means you can eat till you pass out of over eating.
Myself, I go for 1-3 plates. I'm not that much of an eater in restaurants.
Some of the food they have in buffets are crap n some are decent so it's sometimes hard getting the food down,

well, all you can eat normally contain food that fills up the stomach temporally (most the time it's chemicals that fills you up quickly) . that's how they stay in business. however there are those who's stomach breaks down the food faster which breaks down the chemicals at a faster rate, so they can eat alot . those are the ppl all you can eat mangers watch out for

There's advertising, and then there's false advertising. If you choose the second, then you must be prepared for the consequences: public outrage, boycotts, and lawsuits.

its not false advertising, all you can eat is more of a name then a advertisement. a name can be anything and not be deemed as false advertisement

I disagree. All-you-can-eat is clearly used to advertise the establishment and attract customers.

I doubt just 2 people could outeat them. What about those who get a bunch of food then pick at it then throw it away? At least these fellows are eating it.

But.... soo ridiculous. I am sure what the manager did was illegal. If in fact he couldn't procure a written document saying that abuse of all you can eat means permenant dismissal those two guys should have stayed there and purposely ate 6 plates there next visit. But how can you abuse "all you can eat." More like...they are just taking them up on their offer.

Plus if he is the manager he probably isn't the owner, so his word isn't final. Doesn't he keep abreast of media and know that if a story is ridiculous enough it'll get public attention and probably backlash? He should have seen this coming

Just saw this on yahoo like a minute ago o_o
Reasons why they were banned permanently was because they were ruining the atmosphere of the restaurant and "stealing all the good food." Not because they simply ate too much.

I agree with both of your statements: 1) foods at the ALL YOU CAN EAT establishments usually contain foods that will fill up your stomach; 2) I believe it is fault advertising if you advertise (on your window) ALL YOU CAN EAT. Either you can ALL YOU CAN EAT or not. Which is it?

I state this because the word "ALL" is "all", we have interpreted it to mean absolute, defined, definitive. Therefore, you should expect to have a majority of your customers eat at most two plates while a few would eat more.

Otherwise, if it is a play with words as you suggest, Valzoa, than should they not state EAT AS MUCH AS YOU CAN within an hour? Would that not only imply that you can eat "ALL" you want but with a limit of an hour? Would that not be better? Less confusion on the customer - they know they have an hour to eat as much as they can. And makes the Business Owner happy that he has clearly stated his intend.

Here is another perceptive of the same story from the NY Daily News: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/uk-buddies-banned-buffet-overeating-article-1.1174689

My point in bring this topic up is that business' whose business model is not the ALL YOU CAN EAT establishment but include it to "get more business" should not be surprise that someone actually does take them up to task. The statement that they were "stealing all the good food" does not make good business sense. How can they "steal" the food when they paid for the opportunity to eat the food?

The article in the NY Daily News goes further than the Yahoo stream I had link and you saw yourself. It mentions a co-owner implying that despite the two eating to much, they were rude to other customers and if they had ordered a drink rather than asking for water and had left a tip, they would have been okay. But this took two years - why now and not earlier like the second time or third time they entered the establishment?

But morals are not part of this topic, the topic is why cry when someone does ALL YOU CAN EAT?

lol

My family gatherings used to always be at Old Country Buffet. I eat like a bird, so it was never worth the money.

Besides, I would always get a bad stomachache afterwards, so it REALLY wasn't worth it.