HomeTown & Old Country Buffet

[Crawford]

The Old Country Buffet in Seekonk closed up at some point last week. I'll miss this place, when I was a member of the Assemblies of God my youth group would go here twice a month. Several local restaurants have already put up fliers on the building directing traffic to their establishments. No idea what is anything is going here, the Tweeter next door is still vacant after the chain's bankruptcy.

[JimSawhill]

So with Waterbury closed, the list shows that the one in West Hartford closed on the 19th. That sucks!

jeez, the OCB in West Hartford used to be a hangout for me and a local group that used to use the YWCA in Hartford. That place was busy when we came there monthly.

[Zayre88]

Is there a difference between HomeTown & Old Country Buffet ?

Maine Mall's Old Country Buffet is now a HomeTown Buffet.

[ynkeesfn82]

I don't think so. Both are part of BUFFET INC. Although I never went the one in Manchester, CT was originally Old Country Buffet, but has since switched banners to Hometown.

[AmesNewington]

I don't think so. Both are part of BUFFET INC. Although I never went the one in Manchester, CT was originally Old Country Buffet, but has since switched banners to Hometown.

They were almost all originally Old Country Buffet when they opened in the mid-90s, at least in CT. Wethersfield was at least. I never understood why they switched names. To this day, I thought of them still as the "Country Buffet".

[ynkeesfn82]

There was an Old Country Buffet very briefly in New Britain some time in the 90s. It didn't last very long. I think before that it was Abdow's Big Boy's. Then after OCB it became a Hollywood Video. Somewhere in the same area today is a very disgusting (at least according to my parents) Chinese Buffet.

[AmesNewington]

There was an Old Country Buffet very briefly in New Britain some time in the 90s. It didn't last very long. I think before that it was Abdow's Big Boy's. Then after OCB it became a Hollywood Video. Somewhere in the same area today is a very disgusting (at least according to my parents) Chinese Buffet.

Oh I know where that is. It's in Downtown near the NewBrite plaza. Even back in the 90s, that plaza was dangerous. Isn't the chinese buffet called Super Buffet or something?

[retailisking]

Do you get the feeling that BUFFETS isn't long for this world? They've gone through bankruptcy twice and are still closing locations.

[AmesNewington]

Do you get the feeling that BUFFETS isn't long for this world? They've gone through bankruptcy twice and are still closing locations.

I heard the main reason they shut down West Hartford and Wethersfield was because of patrons letting in family members through the Exit doors, therefore having them eat for free. I don't know how the cashiers or other employees never saw this. One of my dad's co-workers saw something like this happen in Wethersfield. No doubt it happened in West Hartford. I wonder how the new Hibachi Buffet will do in that spot when it opens.

[retailisking]

I heard the main reason they shut down West Hartford and Wethersfield was because of patrons letting in family members through the Exit doors, therefore having them eat for free.

That sounds almost like an urban legend; I find it hard to believe that Buffets wouldn't clean house and hire new management if this was going on. Buffets is still looking to emerge from its latest Chapter 11, and there are some eye-opening disclosures in their latest filing that make it plain that the buffet concept has lots of inherent pitfalls.

http://nrn.com/article/buffets-inc-discloses-details-ch-11-exit-plan

[ynkeesfn82]

BUFFET INC (Hometown Buffet, Old Country Buffet, etc) will be featured on Undercover Boss on Friday October 18th at 8PM on CBS.

[ynkeesfn82]

BUFFET INC (Hometown Buffet, Old Country Buffet, etc) will be featured on Undercover Boss on Friday October 18th at 8PM on CBS.

I watched Undercover Boss BUFFET Inc. This is a new CEO that took over at then end of 2012. They are currently working on upgrading the restaurants - food, decor, people, etc. Something is seriously wrong with the company. They went from several billion dollars in sales in 2006 to filing for bankruptcy less than 3 years later! And of course they filed again and now they are out. They did not say whether or not they are opening new locations or not.


The 2 locations in left in Connecticut remain open in Manchester and Milford.

Former CT Locations:

Waterbury: Buffalo Wild Wings

West Hartford: Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet (Chinese Buffet)

Wethersfield: World Buffet (Chinese Buffet)

New Britain: (Closed Years ago) Kool Smiles Kid's Dentist

[Hudsons81]

The Old Country Buffet at the Southgate Shopping Center in Southgate, Michigan opened in probably the early 1990's in what was originally Kresge. It briefly became Hometown Buffet in the mid-2000's before reverting back to Old Country Buffet only to close in early 2012. It is now All American Buffet.

[ynkeesfn82]

Former CT Locations:

Waterbury: Buffalo Wild Wings

West Hartford: Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet (Chinese Buffet)

Wethersfield: World Buffet (Chinese Buffet)

New Britain: (Closed Years ago) Kool Smiles Kid's Dentist

The former Hometown Buffet in Wethersfield which became World Buffet is now Buffalo Wild Wings.

[TheFugitive]

The Old Country Buffet in the Southland Shopping Center near Century III Mall became
the Old Towne Buffet.  Locally owned by a Chinese family, it was an eclectic mix of
Chinese food plus all of the standard fare that you used to find at Old Country.

Recently they moved up the road to the former Tambellini's (a VERY elegant and famous
local restaurant in its day), so the original Old Country space is now vacant.

[ynkeesfn82]

74 more locations across the country closed abruptly on Thursday 2/4/16. I couldn't find a complete list but I know Pittsfeld, Mass closed.

[Chuck E. Cheese]

I go to HomeTown in Milford occasionally; They haven't changed in all the years I've been there.

[ynkeesfn82]

I go to HomeTown in Milford occasionally; They haven't changed in all the years I've been there.

I used to go to the one in Waterbury a few times a year. The last time I went was on May 24th, 2011 seven months before they closed. (I went by myself for my 29th birthday, which was May 23rd). I used to live in the West End of Bristol and it was about a 15 or 20 minute drive up Route 69 for me.

[TRU7536]

74 more locations across the country closed abruptly on Thursday 2/4/16. I couldn't find a complete list but I know Pittsfeld, Mass closed.

I use to go to Wethersfield and than Manchester, that sad they all closed.

[ynkeesfn82]

Manchester and Milford CT remain open. Found another one that closed. - Catonsville, Maryland just outside of Baltimore.

[TheFugitive]

Industry analysts claim that these chains "cater too much to an older clientele" and "are ill-suited to provide younger customers with the fresh, organic, healthy, upscale cuisine they are seeking".

Once you turn 50 in this society nobody wants your money I guess.

[JimSawhill]

74 more locations across the country closed abruptly on Thursday 2/4/16. I couldn't find a complete list but I know Pittsfeld, Mass closed.

I use to go to Wethersfield and than Manchester, that sad they all closed.

The group I used to go swimming with used to go to the one on Kane Street...I miss it...

[buzz86us]

Industry analysts claim that these chains "cater too much to an older clientele" and "are ill-suited to provide younger customers with the fresh, organic, healthy, upscale cuisine they are seeking".

Once you turn 50 in this society nobody wants your money I guess.

I would seriously have gone to one of these a lot if the one in Schenectady was still open. What do they mean fresh organic healthy.. last I was at an Old Country Buffet they had the best salad bar..

Oh well Old Country Buffet we hardly knew yee

https://consumerist.com/2016/03/07/owner-of-old-country-hometown-buffets-closes-restaurants-files-for-bankruptcy/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

[Pikapower]

Industry analysts claim that these chains "cater too much to an older clientele" and "are ill-suited to provide younger customers with the fresh, organic, healthy, upscale cuisine they are seeking".

Once you turn 50 in this society nobody wants your money I guess.

I would seriously have gone to one of these a lot if the one in Schenectady was still open. What do they mean fresh organic healthy.. last I was at an Old Country Buffet they had the best salad bar..

Oh well Old Country Buffet we hardly knew yee

https://consumerist.com/2016/03/07/owner-of-old-country-hometown-buffets-closes-restaurants-files-for-bankruptcy/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

It's a good thing I went to my local Old Country Buffet last week, It could have been my last time eating there!  :(

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

The Old Country Buffet in Green Bay, Wisconsin closed without notice recently.

[Chuck E. Cheese]

Hometown in Milford closed. :-/ Now There is only one in Manchester and an Old Country in New York.

[BillyGr]

Hometown in Milford closed. :-/ Now There is only one in Manchester and an Old Country in New York.

And the only one in NY even close appears to be on Long Island (the other two are Buffalo and Elmira, both farther west).

[Chuck E. Cheese]

I was in Milford for a while recently so I snapped a photo of the exterior of one of my favorite (now closed) eateries. How interesting, lol.
http://i.imgur.com/GHLT0ZRh.jpg

[JimSawhill]

Hometown in Milford closed. :-/ Now There is only one in Manchester and an Old Country in New York.

When did Wethersfield Old Country Buffet closed? Does anyone know what's there now...

[Chuck E. Cheese]

I wasn't even aware there was one there, only NY and Milford. Hmm..