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"It's a completely different experience from what folks have been accustomed to," Furr's Jill Gouge Laird says of the restaurant's new Fresh Buffet concept. "Now they really control the experience."
As recently reported by the Dallas Morning News, the Texas-based chain has opened nine Fresh Buffets over the last five years, and plans to open as many as a dozen additional stores by 2012. Existing restaurants will continue to operate as cafeterias, but Laird confirms all future outlets will be structured as "scattered buffets."
The first Furr's opened in Hobbs, N.M., in 1946, when the region was agog over the model that food historian John Mariani has described as striking "just the right balance of formality and traditionalism." Cafeterias translated the family dinner to a public setting, with hair-netted near-grannies serving up fried chicken, collards, mashed potatoes and liver. They flourished in the South, where Furr's' preeminence was challenged by S&S, K&W, S&W, Luby's, Piccadilly, Morrison's and Britling's -- and those were just the major players.
Kmart purchased Furr's Cafeteria in the 1980s.
"They had very aggressive expansion plans," Laird recalls.
At its peak, Furr's had 170 locations nationwide. Today, the tally's dwindled to just 50.
Laird says the restaurant hopes to reclaim its relevance by switching to buffets.
While a nation of flu-phobes might seem prone to prefer cafeterias, where the food sits safely behind glass, Laird says customers like the convenience of buffets. Furr's Fresh Buffet guests don't have to wait in line or commit themselves to a full portion of any one item.
"We've had very positive comments from guests who've dined with us for decades," Laird says. "They like to taste a lot of different items and control the amount of food."
Furr's will continue to serve time-tested favorites like Millionaire's Pie, an uncooked concoction of pineapples and whipped cream, alongside new grilled dishes like citrus-fired chicken.
"We are just really excited about our plans to give life to this chain," Laird says.
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11-20-2009 @9:04PM BigTinyLittle said... Does this mean no more Furr Burgers???
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11-20-2009 @9:46PM scharabo said... Even in a cafeteria you can portion control. Simply ask the server for smaller pieces or less than a full serving.
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11-20-2009 @10:23PM Bob said... No, but it is the end of the cherry cobbler.
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11-20-2009 @11:18PM Sheryl said... Well, there is a Furr's Cafeteria (Buffet style) in El Paso, TX and it is very nice. We would go on Sundays for brunch and I was never disappointed. Until we were stationed there, I had never heard of Furr's but it quickly became a favorite.
I don't know where they hired their cooks from, but they were excellent!
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11-20-2009 @11:49PM WSTARHOPPER said... Ok Furrs so your food is good. So how about coming to Oregon? We could always ues another good family resturant. Espically one that serves good food. So come to Oregon we are waiting for you.
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11-20-2009 @11:56PM Hattie Crabtree said... The last time I ate at a Furr's was in crappy Downey,CA.near my hubby's old job.That was some 17 years ago.
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11-21-2009 @12:41AM Rob in Oregon said... In the Portland area of Oregon we have Home Town Buffet. It's wonderful! All you want of any item in the restaurant. Serve yourself, go back for seconds as many times as you want. My only problem is that I eat too much when I go there.
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11-21-2009 @12:58AM kuzzacat said... Never heard of Furr's.
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11-21-2009 @12:59AM KRSlade said... We have Hometown in CT and the food is not the best.
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11-21-2009 @1:32AM Barrie said... I've never heard of Furrs before. But here in Danville , Virginia , We could sure use one. A cafeteria/buffet would do well here especially with good southern cooked food, desserts, breads,and salads. The ability to get served fast, eat in a nice atmosphere, enjoy comfort foods, and get back to work on time would be a perfect service for the community. We even have a cafeteria site that has been empty for several years in our Piedmont Mall. Its just waiting for someone to give it some TLC and get the ball rolling. Growth, new businesses, new shopping complex, and community support would be a great beginning for a new Furrs. Come see us and check us out.
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11-21-2009 @1:57AM scharabo said... There are buffets and buffets. In nearby New Johnsonville, TN there is a restaurant called Four Seasons. Has been through several owners/operators in past several years. Use to serve a full menu and buffet (such as a Friday night seafood). Prices were so high people usually only came once. New owners offer strictly a $5.95 lunch and dinner buffet, but the food is sooooooooo bad it isn't even worth that. I've found you can largely judge a buffet by their french fries. Cold and soggy represents the rest of the offerings.
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11-21-2009 @3:00AM Joe said... Furr's Buffet is nothing new to us here in Brownsville, Tx. I believe ours has been a buffet restaurant for a few years now. It's really nice. The food is great.
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11-21-2009 @3:24AM DOC said... this has been going on in oklahoma for 35 years.this story as old as the raost beef they serve
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11-21-2009 @3:29AM Amanda Addams said... We used to have Furrs at two locations in Las Vegas. We ate there quite often. The food was excellant. I don't know why they left, business always looked good.We miss them.
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11-21-2009 @4:12AM Cletus Peckerspin said... Oh, the way that Americans eat. Our "blessing" of ample food -- something that was not a guarantee for Americans a little over 100 years ago, and something that some of the rest of the world still does not have -- is now a curse. We have soaring diabetes rates, a high rate of heart disease, and the "look" of obesity when you compare us to most Europeans, Asians, and South Americans. But Americans don't care. They wade into all-you-can-eat buffets like there's no tomorrow. Men grow stomachs that hang over their belts and women who were sexy at 20, look like blimps before they're 30. Even kids are becoming porkers. And if you criticize anyone for being fat, you're branded as bigoted. So maybe Americans now believe that they have a "right" to be hefty & fat?
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11-21-2009 @4:19AM classynhood09 said... I wish Furr's would come back to Las Vegas, NV. I remember my family and I going there at least once a month for years when I was a child. It was my favorite place to eat. I loved the orka and egg custard pies especially (haven't found a good custard pie out here since).
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11-21-2009 @5:03AM Millerson said... You have no idea how sad it makes me to know that someone who is contributing to society in a meaningful way thinks this slop is quality food. What a disgrace that you have (apparently) never tasted good food.
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11-21-2009 @5:17AM AnonymousCO said... Well, Furr's was all over the place in Colorado as well. Had 4 in Colorado Springs, 10+ in Denver, 1 in Fort Collins, 1 in Greeley, etc. About 7 years ago, they all seem to collapse (close down), 1 after the other. Furr's was downsizing. Heck, even lost control of their Mid-West sister company "Bishop's" in IA & IL. We have been waiting for them to return & expand in CO, we could use more then the 2 statewide we have now. Need 1 back in Colorado Springs.
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11-21-2009 @5:30AM ed said... Geez, I remember Furrs cafeteria. It was a good place to eat. I think going to a buffet is a good idea. Luby's could take a lesson from this! One thing to remember is, its not the 1950's any more. Dining out is a new reality for the masses.
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11-21-2009 @6:06AM wes said... Neber heard of Furr's, but I remember Woolworths cafeteria, and Walgreens Cafeteria, and the fat black woman who cooked homemade foor, and served it proudly. That was a blast from the past, and as a kid, I found it a treat to go to Woolworths especially. They closed 20 years ago, but the restauraunt was also styled like a glamorous gamily style, with gold booths, and chandeliers.
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