Why the loss of buffet chains like Sweet Tomatoes hits hard for Asian Americans | Eater SF

"Earlier this month the chain Sweet Tomatoes (known as Souplantation in Southern California) permanently closed all of its restaurants due to financial pressures caused by COVID-19; as someone whose family shifted our weekend dinners to the Sweet Tomatoes in Santa Clara after our Hometown Buffet closed, I felt the loss keenly. The chain’s self-serve model couldn’t easily transition to takeout or delivery, many states ordered restaurants to discontinue self-serve food areas, and John Haywood, the CEO of Sweet Tomatoes’ parent company, even wondered whether health departments will ever allow that service model again — all reasons it’s hard to imagine any buffet surviving in this environment." - Anthony Kao