Considering Cost-Effectiveness, This Place Is Better... Buffet Restaurants Popular Among MZ Generation to Elderly

High Demand Among Both Young and Middle-Aged Groups
Satisfying Both 'Cost-Effectiveness' and 'Unique Experiences'

Due to the global surge in prices, the popularity of 'buffet-style restaurants' is soaring. Families seeking cost-effective dining options and consumers looking for unique experiences are all choosing buffets. Market research firm 'Embrain Trend Monitor' announced on the 7th that, based on a '2023 Buffet Restaurant U&A Survey' conducted with 1,000 adult men and women nationwide, 96.4% of respondents said they had visited a buffet-style restaurant within the past year.

Demand for buffet-style restaurants was evenly high across all age groups, but particularly notable among younger adults (20s, 92.8%) and those in their 30s and 40s with larger family sizes (88.0% and 86.0%, respectively).

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Among single-person households, the usage rate of buffet-style restaurants was only 78.0%, but it rose to 83.8% for 2-3 person households and 90.9% for households of four or more. Embrain analyzed, "Buffet-style restaurants, where you can enjoy a variety of foods for a fixed price, are a relatively affordable alternative for the 20s and 30s generations who prefer new experiences, as well as for multi-member households that need to accommodate diverse tastes."

The most popular type of restaurant was family restaurant salad buffets (77.3%, multiple responses allowed), followed by hotel buffets (71.5%) and Korean food buffets (70.2%).

In particular, hotel buffets, which are priced higher than other buffets, increased by 16.2 percentage points from 55.3% in 2016. Embrain explained, "As high inflation continues, consumer polarization is occurring where wallets open for cost-effective products and 'special experiences'."

Buffet [Image source=Pixabay]

However, the majority of consumers still choose buffets based on 'cost-effectiveness.' About half (49.2%) responded that "considering the price of coffee and dessert after meals, buffet restaurants offer good value," and 6 out of 10 said, "When I go to a buffet-style restaurant, I feel it's a waste because I can't eat as much as the price suggests."

Comments such as "Dining out prices have risen so much that buffet-style restaurants feel inexpensive" (40.3%) and "The advantage is being able to eat as much as you want at a relatively low price" (45.2%) show that public attitudes toward buffet-style restaurants reflect a coexistence of "disappointment and satisfaction regarding price aspects."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.