KFC Buffet Locations Do Still Exist. Here's Where To Find Them

Despite decreasing sales and other signs that KFC is struggling to stay in business, the chicken chain still elicits lots of nostalgia. And for inhabitants of a few specific cities, a trip to one of the company's locations looks more like a visit to a classic 1980s buffet.

Back in the '80s, it was common for Colonel Sanders' famous fried chicken chain to offer buffet-style dining alongside the popular fast service option. That format allowed guests to sample multiple items from the KFC menu, which seems like an ideal arrangement for indecisive diners. Despite how delicious KFC buffets may sound, they started to disappear over time, leaving just drive-thru and single-point service-based locations. This followed a larger trend of the restaurant industry leaning away from buffets. Much to the delight of fans, a handful of KFC buffet restaurants still exist throughout the world. However, the remaining buffets are quite limited and hard to find.

Traditional buffets are able to turn a profit thanks to a decreased need for staffing, both in front and back of house. However, this business model proved highly vulnerable in 2020 due to COVID dining restrictions, especially for hybrid establishments like KFC buffets. While those restrictions are no longer in place, users on the KFC Reddit stated that their local restaurants hadn't reopened their once-popular buffets. One Redditor wrote, "Ever since COVID's hard lockdown, they haven't had enough employees in the store to run the buffet. I imagine other locations with buffets have similar issues."

While a trip to KFC's official website allows you to find out if there's a location near you, it doesn't list which stores are buffet-style. In order to get your hands on information regarding where to find a KFC buffet, you'll have to travel into the depths of social media where a few dedicated diners have devoted their time to bringing KFC's secret buffet locations to light. The Facebook group KFC Buffet Aficionados features a gold mine of information regarding KFC buffet locations in the U.S. and beyond, including a curated database. Social media posts indicate that as of 2024, KFC buffets can be found in Pigeon Forge and Sparta, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky; Waynesboro, Virginia; Dunn, North Carolina; and Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada. An employee claimed a store in Jenks, Oklahoma, offers an all you can eat option but doesn't technically have a buffet.

Given KFC's global success with its famous fried chicken and fast-service style restaurants, branching out into a totally different business model may seem like an odd decision at first glance. However, it turns out KFC's foray into the buffet business was part of an effort to compete with its fast-food rivals. The 1980s was a decade when shopping trends were dominated by excess. This was also reflected in fast food trends as brands offered buffet-style dining on top of their regular fast service offerings in order to give guests the luxury they were looking for.

KFC launched buffets to compete with offerings from other fast food heavyweights, including McDonald's and Burger King. While KFC's buffets offered the restaurant's most popular items topped off with a bevy of Southern side dishes, some offered more unexpected fare such as Mexican and seafood.

Eventually, American diners fell out of love with the buffet line, and many fast-food restaurants began to hang up their salad tongs for good. By the time the 1990s rolled around, diners' attitudes were shifting in favor of low-fat foods. Filling up multiple plates with mountains of fried chicken wasn't as appealing as it once was. Consumers were also more interested in fast-service or sit-down style restaurants.

One Facebook user's decision to post a picture of an old KFC buffet located in Australia was enough to make international news, with the post being covered by outlets like the New York Post, as well as Australian news publications. The resurfacing of the lost image introduced the buffet concept to a new generation of diners, many of whom seemed on board with the idea. However, one commenter stated that buffets likely went out of business due to overly eager customers eating more than their fair share. They wrote: "Wow, never knew that was even a thing. I'm not surprised that would have failed."

KFC buffets can also be found in Japan. It's not so surprising that the buffets have a presence in the country since KFC is considered a traditional Christmas meal in Japan. Located in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka, these buffets are so popular that establishments provide tickets to customers to ensure an orderly experience. The buffet selection naturally includes fried chicken, as well as biscuits, corn soup, steamed potatoes, salad, and desserts like soft serve ice cream and mini cakes. Whether or not a KFC buffet would prove to be a smart business model now, the concept's social media vitality and the desire to find the few remaining buffet locations prove that the once popular spots still hold a place in the hearts of many diners.