Buffet restaurants are known for being a good bang for your buck—it seems this is especially true if you “shoplift” food home. With the rising cost of groceries nowadays some people think stealing from a buffet is just a sign of the times, others argue that it’s unjust and others find it just plain funny.
This conversation got rolling in the comments section of a video posted by Tueson (@tues0n) on TikTok. In the video, people are stuffing ribs into plastic bags underneath the table and putting food into containers on the dining table. At the end, the food haul includes several bags filled with ribs, ice cream cups, rice, burger patties, shrimp, and more. The text overlay on the video states, “Survival mode at the buffet” with Bobby Caldwell’s “What I Wouldn’t Do For Love” playing.
The video has over 5,000 comments and over 1.4 million views as of Saturday afternoon.
@tues0n Gotta get it how ya live #survivalmode ♬ What You Won't Do for Love – Bobby Caldwell
Viewers in the comments are applauding folks in the video for teaching them these hacks. Others shamed them.
“Now that’s what you call getting your money worth,” reads one comment.
“I ain’t mad at you,” wrote another user.
“That’s why it’s SO expensive to eat at a buffet,” a user mused..
“No wonder country buffet closed permanently,” writes another.
The last comment is referring to a chain of buffets, Country Buffet, whose parent company filed for bankruptcy in 2020. This was part of a larger reality for buffet restaurants in 2020 that couldn’t afford to stay open during the pandemic, according to one USA Today article.
However, this same article also mentions that Buffets are on the rise again. It states, “According to IBISWorld, an industry market research company, buffets were a $5.5 billion industry in 2022 — up 9% from 2021.” Therefore, it seems like although people stealing food might be putting a dent in the buffet industry’s pockets, the industry is currently growing stronger.
Overall, people in the comments found the video funny.
“The man wrapped up the whole buffet under the table,” says one comment.
“Man took the ice cream,” says another.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Tueson for comment via TikTok comment.
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