Within six years Spago's was followed by Emeril's, Coyote Cafe, Chinois, Napa and Drai's. By the turn of the century, Las Vegas had become a major contender in the world of fine dining with two five-star restaurants. His idea of treating guests to an elaborate array of food for a small price was copied again and again, and the Las Vegas buffet earned its place in the city's history. The midnight chuck wagon expanded to breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Circus Circus Hotel-Casino, which serves buffet meals to an average of 10,000 people per day, fed more than 17,600 people on one incredible day.
Many hotels feature weekend champagne brunches.
Others offer theme buffets highlighting specialized cuisine such as seafood or ethnic foods. The average buffet features about 45 food selections per meal including salads, fruits, roast beef, baked ham, roast turkey, fried chicken, vegetables, rolls, coffee and all the desserts imaginable. One hotel-casino also offers international choices of Mexican, Brazilian, American, Chinese and Italian specialties cooked to order. Recent studies show that more than 80 percent of the visitors to Las Vegas indulge in buffets. The popularity of the Las Vegas buffet expanded to virtually every resort destination in Southern Nevada, including Laughlin, Primm and Mesquite.