He noted that his buffets are not very profitable, but that they are a must for large groups. There are people that can kill you on buffets. It's not unusual to see someone walk by with four desserts on their plate. OR, creates a couple dozen buffets each year for his membership. Aside from the ease with which a buffet allows him to feed 500 people, who may all arrive at the same time, he likes the festive and social environment they create.
Buffets give people the chance to mill around and talk to each other.
Our New Year's Eve buffet is definitely a relaxed atmosphere. It's not as restrictive as ala carte dining. Mattingly has fun with buffets. For his annual Astoria 500, a take-off on the Indy 500, he uses a wallboard with numbered racecars that guests bet on throughout the event. When an hourly lottery-like drawing comes up with the number of their car, they win.