ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT BUFFETS: THEY’VE FOUND THE MAGIC RECIPE | M6 | 66 minutes

Tired of poke bowls, balanced vegan dishes, and healthy eating? Welcome to the world of all-you-can-eat buffets! These XXL canteens offer hundreds of dishes — and generous portions too — because here, you can serve yourself and go back for more… as much as you like. Or rather, as much as you can. At an average of €20 for lunch and €35 for dinner, it’s an irresistible deal for big appetites.
Barely known a decade ago, these giant self-serve restaurants have spread across France — there are now around 5,000 of them.
They’re getting bigger and bigger, most run by members of the Chinese community — but not only. Some top chefs are now getting in on the trend, like Éloi Spinnler, the most Instagrammable of cooks, who’s preparing to open a luxury buffet in Paris.
Or Farid Mezaber, who’s bringing the all-you-can-eat concept to the very heart of Lyon — France’s capital of gastronomy.
How do they make a profit? What are their tricks to get us to spend more? What are we really eating — and are we getting our money’s worth?
An inside look at the booming world of buffets, where abundance is part of the business model.