The Fast Food Chain That Broke The Mold With A Buffet-Style SuperBar

Fast food establishments are associated with a drive-thru and food eaten on the go — but how about a sit-down meal with a buffet? These two concepts don't seem to go hand in hand, but it existed in the 1980s thanks to fast food chain Wendy's. Called the SuperBar, the all-you-can-eat buffet feature was first trialed in 1987, and lasted for about 10 years.

If you were born too late to experience the Wendy's SuperBar, you missed out on a killer deal; The buffet was set at $2.99 for lunch, with dinner priced at $3.69. And, no, it wasn't packed with every Wendy's burger and bottomless Wendy's seasoned fries. The SuperBar was set up with three sections: Mexican, Italian, and the Garden Spot (a leafy salad bar). Here, customers could fill their plates with spaghetti and sauce, rotini with vegetables, garlic breadsticks, a build-your-own burrito, hard shell tacos, fresh salad, and even desserts like fresh fruit and pudding. Although fast food wasn't served at the buffet, hamburgers were chopped up and used in the pasta sauce, chili, and taco filling; Burger buns were the surprising base for the garlic bread. 

But not every Wendy's outpost included at SuperBar, and some locations even hosted a build-your-own baked potato bar (which existed before the SuperBar). Later on, pizza was also added to the SuperBar, with unlimited slices and soda included in the deal. 

Managing a buffet in a fast-paced restaurant that is also whipping up burgers at lightning speed doesn't seem great for business, but the introduction of the SuperBar actually led to an increase in sales by 15% in its first year. It may not seem super cost-effective, especially with the low price point, but there were many good things that came from the SuperBar. For starters, people really loved it. It offered a good variety of food that was customizable, at a steal of a price. Even if buffets aren't known for serving the highest-quality food, it was still a solid meal. Users on Reddit's r/nostalgia sub express fond memories of the buffet and their desire that it resurface one day. 

In the 1980s, Mexican food had not yet made it into the mainstream, and Taco Bell was not as widespread as it is today. Therefore, the SuperBar was an opportunity to try Mexican food — or perhaps it's more accurate to call it Mexican-inspired or Tex-Mex food — like nachos, tacos, and burritos. Another concept that was not mainstream during this time period involved dietary preferences and restrictions — and veggie burgers certainly weren't a priority. However, as the SuperBar commercials advertised, it offered something for everyone.

Sadly, Wendy's SuperBar became defunct in the late 90's (but not before seafood was added to the buffet). The setup reportedly asked a little too much of employees to keep the buffet stocked while managing the fast food element of the business. 

Wendy's wasn't the only fast food chain to experiment with buffet-style eating. KFC, McDonald's, and even Taco Bell tried their hand at it but inevitably shut all, or most of them, down. These chains haven't offered any suggestion that buffets will resurface and once again become apart of the business model. Managing a buffet on top of drive-thru and dine-in orders is a heavy task for restaurant employees — and fast food buffets appear to be a dying breed.  

Although it will never be the same as the iconic SuperBar, a handful of fast-casual establishments offer unlimited plate buffets today. The Pizza Hut lunch buffet includes access to plenty of pizza, pasta, and salad. Not every location supports the buffet, but in 2024, the chain announced it would be revamping and increasing its buffet offerings. Cicis Pizza — which might be considered more of a fast-casual establishment rather than fast food — offers a lunch and dinner buffet with pizza, pasta, salad, and dessert.

For more classic fast food, one Chick-fil-A restaurant at the University of Oklahoma is all-you-can-eat. Rumor has it that a select few KFC restaurants still operate with a buffet — it's just a matter of finding them. And if you stumble upon an all-you-can-eat situation, be aware of food safety rules, and the foods that are best avoided in buffets. Wendy's SuperBar may be no more, but fast food fans can certainly dream.