The Covid pandemic made Americans reconsider eating at self-serve buffet restaurants due to health concerns. Food Safety News highlighted that buffets can introduce buffet-borne bacteria and viruses into the human body. Many buffets closed during the pandemic period, while others switched to having workers serve the food. This trend has continued in the post-pandemic period as self-service buffets have fallen out of favor. In Las Vegas, the number of buffets has decreased due to high labor and food costs and changing guest behavior. Additionally, several major buffet chains collapsed after their parent company filed for Chapter 11, including Old Country Buffet, HomeTown Buffet and Ryan's, and Furr's. The trend of self-serving buffets is also being fueled by staffing shortages pushed on by early food shortages.