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• #Anthony wedo college series

It didn’t remain contemporary with food offerings.

This brand hadn’t changed its style and approach with guests for 30 years.

Think about it, if you didn’t change your clothing style for 30 years, you’d look a little out of date. Q: What drove the changes at Old Country Buffet?Ī: I believed that if we could create a new, contemporary offering that matched the needs of today’s young families, there would be a stampede to the door. He spoke recently at the Old Country Buffet in Maplewood. The effort to revive the company has been led by Anthony Wedo, a veteran restaurant industry executive and consultant who signed on in December 2012. But it still employs 125 back office workers in Eagan. Since it exited bankruptcy in July 2012, Buffets - now owned by its former creditors - has moved its headquarters from Eagan to Greer, S.C. Ovation’s 337 restaurants, which operate under six brands including Old Country, are all eventually slated for renovation. The makeover has already occurred at about 40 Old Country Buffets, including all 14 in Minnesota, as well as in Denver and San Diego. The company, which has $900 million in revenue, is retooling its restaurants in a major way, from recipes to decor. Its corner of the restaurant industry, the all-you-can-eat buffet, has been a backwater.īut Buffets Inc., re-christened Ovation Brands last fall, is mounting a comeback. Steve Raabe: 30, or twitter.Old Country Buffet’s corporate parent descended into bankruptcy twice between 20. “I think it looks great,” she said, “and all of the food tasted really fresh.” closed dozens of stores during its bankruptcy reorganization.īuffets reported in August that same-store sales had risen for two consecutive quarters, marking the best performance in eight years.Ĭayla Semp of Arvada dined at a Country Buffet this week for the first time in years. “But the sense is that there’s not a whole lot of scratch cooking going on.”ĭarren Tristano, executive vice president of Chicago-based restaurant analytics firm Technomic, said that sales for Country Buffet and its sister chains fell 13 percent to $607 million in 2012 from the previous year, largely because Buffets Inc. “The pounds of food per dollar equation that these chains offer will probably never go out of style,” Denver restaurant consultant John Imbergamo said. The outlets offer all you can eat, priced at $6.79 for breakfast, $8.49 for lunch and $11.49 for dinner.Īnalysts say Country Buffet and similar chains serve an important niche for patrons on limited budgets but struggle to attract customers who perceive buffet food as inferior. He said sales at the seven Country Buffets in metro Denver are up an average of 50 percent since the restaurants were renovated and the ad campaign began. Wedo recently worked in disguise at the Arvada restaurant for a segment of the “Undercover Boss” television show scheduled to air Friday. Its brands outside of Colorado include Old Country Buffet, HomeTown Buffet and Ryan’s. The company has started a similar process in Minnesota and plans to eventually convert each of its 343 restaurants. Privately owned Buffets is spending about $300,000 per restaurant for the revamp. Bake Shop” and “Anthony’s Italian Market,” providing some food items in individual portions and upgrading menus. It’s not just a turnaround,” Wedo said this week during a visit to the Country Buffet in Arvada.Ĭhanges include new decor, creating separate serving stations with branded names such as “Maple St. last year after the chain emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization for the second time in five years. Turnaround specialist Wedo was named CEO of Country Buffet and its parent company Buffets Inc.

#Anthony wedo college series

The effort is being pitched in a series of TV ads that started last week. Wedo, chief executive of Country Buffet, says Denver customers are receiving his message.Įarly results from the chain’s multimillion-dollar makeover campaign, launched in Denver, show strong sales increases. Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close MenuĪnthony Wedo’s formidable task is to suggest that buffet dining may be better than you think.