SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (AP) -- A couple on a low-carb diet were kicked out of a buffet restaurant after the manager said they'd eaten too much roast beef.

Sui Amaama, who along with his wife have been on the Atkins Diet for two weeks, was asked to leave after he went up to the buffet at the Chuck-A-Rama in suburban Taylorsville for his 12th slice of roast beef.

"It's so embarrassing actually," said Isabelle Leota, Amaama's wife. "We went in to have dinner, we were under the impression Chuck-A-Rama was an all-you-can-eat establishment."

Not so, said Jack Johanson, the restaurant chain's district manager.

"We've never claimed to be an all-you-can-eat establishment," said Johanson. "Our understanding is a buffet is just a style of eating."

The general manager who was carving the meat Tuesday became concerned about having enough for other patrons and asked Amaama to stop, Johanson said.

Offended, the couple asked for a refund. The manager refused and called police when they would not leave.

The couple said they have eaten at Chuck-A-Rama's $8.99 buffet at least twice a week, but did not plan to return.



CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?!?!?linky

I saw this on CNN lastnight. Although, I disagree with kicking patrons out who eat too much it sounds like Mr. and Mrs. haven't figured out portion control yet .

Alli

Perhaps they haven't read the part about eating their veggies too

Still -- how humiliating for them. I always feel guilty going back for seconds on roast beef, even though I know that, frankly, all the rest of the stuff on the buffet table is a huge money-maker for the restaurant (how much does tossed salad cost them, anyway?)

How embarrasing..... I myself wouldn't have went up 12 times - that too I would find embarrasing.

I think the restaurant was right here. 12 portions of meat?
They say they will not go back, I'll bet the restaurant was glad to here that LOL

Erika

There is also a discussion of this article going on here: http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=180284

This is outrageous! How can anyone support what this restaurant did?

"Our understanding is a buffet is just a style of eating." - yeah, it means eat whatever you want and HOW MUCH you want. Moron.

To embarass his customers, demand they stop eating food they paid for and then be too cheap to at least give them their twenty bucks back to make them go away? This is why service in this country is going to hell in a handbasket.

I think it was penny wise and pound foolish on the restaurant's part. This couple had been giving them their business TWICE A WEEK! I ate my couch when I was on induction. Your appetite tends to slow down after the first few weeks of Atkins. I say shame on the restaurant.

Ok, I exaggerate, it was a footstool...

Now they might end up losing quite a bit more business due to the publicity.

I agree they should have at least given them there money back. I was watching Dr. Phil once and he said when he was younger and just married they used to go to this buffet style restaurant because it was so cheap for them to eat and money was tight. He ate so much shrimp the manager told them he would give them there money back if they would leave.
I would bet this restaurant will end up going out of business with all the bad publicity. I too ate alot of meat during induction plus all my veggies.

In the media area they have the full article. Apperently it was the couples 12th trip up each. The manager first asked them to have something else from the buffet, and they refused. They then asked for thier money back which the resteraunt refused. They stated it was thier right to ask people to leave who abused the buffet, though it was rare it happened.

Apperently this couple would to to the $8.99 buffet at least 3 times a week, but refuse to after this.

I think the manager should of placed a sign stating that trips were limited on certain items if they felt it was an issue.

I have gone to buffets with hungry teenagers. They make many trips to the protein section (as well as everything else insight!) I have never had a buffet say anything. We went to Hometown Buffet with the wrestling team and those kids can really put the food away. The manager told the guys to enjoy it all! He was great.

Nope. The original article states that the husband went up 12 times. There was no mention of how many servings his wife ate. It's also quite possible that a least a couple of those trips were for his wife.
The article also states that the couple has 2 children, so it may be that one or two trips were to get more for one of their children.
I often do that for my girls...go back to get more for them.
Personally, I think the manager was out of line and that the negative publicity will wind up costing them far more than this gentleman was costing them in meat. I know if that restaurant was in my town, I wouldn't be terribly inclined to give them my business after reading that article.

Lisa, I agree with you. I also wouldn't pay to go to a Buffet that was so underperpared that a single customer would wipe out that night's meat supply. I know that my husband goes back 3-4 times, to my 1 and my vegaterain daughter's 0 trips to the beef. She doesn't get a discount and he doesn't pay more. That's what a buffet restaurant is. You pay your money and eat what you choose.