You pull up to the drive thru of the new fast food place in town, Speedy Buffet. You look at the 3 video screens, each showing 10 chaffing dishes of freshly cooked food under the soft orange glow of warming lights. You watch as they add more Broiled Chicken and replace the browning apple slices. Each vat is nicely numbered. It looks like a huge selection. But you must decide: Meatloaf, Chicken or Macaroni & Cheese; Tossed Salad, Mashed Potatoes or Boiled Carrots; A slice of Cream Pie or a fresh brownie...boy, what to choose. As you drive away with your servings of #5, #18, #21 and a lemonade, you wonder what fresh, homestyle food they will offer tomorrow.

Then you notice a sign saying "Tomorrow; Trout Fillets & Roast Beef, Asparagus and Corn on the Cob, Chocolate Pudding and Angle Food Cake, Plus More!!"

---personal note: I would like restaurant like food, but don't want to sit down in the place and wait. Although Speedy Buffet would probably have a place to sit down & eat too.
-- macncheesy, Aug 20 2004

Longstreet Cafe http://www.longstreetcafe.com/main.asp
While not necessarily well-known outside of Gainesville, these folks seem to have taken your idea and run with it. Daily changing buffet menu, and claim to being the fastest drive-thru in town. [jurist, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

Drive Thru Food Court http://www.halfbake...thru_20Food_20Court
Redundant - plenty of other similar ideas on the HB [ConsulFlaminicus, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

If it's as good as what you say it is, the backup will be people in the drive-through who can't make up their minds.
-- adamosity, Aug 20 2004


I thought of that too late. I would have two drive up lines, maybe one on each side of the building.
-- macncheesy, Aug 20 2004


As long as you have a supply of flaky pastries count me in.
-- ayt, Aug 20 2004


to <jurist>:

Is that fairly new in Gainesville? I don't remember it there when I used to live there (and I live 70 miles from there now...)

Then again, if Maui Teriyaki had a drive-through, it's perilously close to this, on some levels :)
-- adamosity, Aug 20 2004


[adamosity] That's Gainesville, GA (as you'll note in the small print), not Gainesville, FLA. It has been around since 1997, according to the link.
-- jurist, Aug 20 2004


Does the Longstreet cafe serve breakfast, lunch & dinner at the buffet? And how do you view your selection? Do they ever mention chaffing dishes?
-- macncheesy, Aug 24 2004


Aw, ferchrissake, everything you need to know is in the link! What's not in the link isn't important. Yes, they have breakfast, lunch and dinner pictured. Yes, they picture "chafing" dishes (actually, it seems to be a steam table, to be precise). I don't know if you can see the serving line from the drive-thru. Are the three video screens integral to the uniqueness of your idea? Would it be a new idea if there were four video screens instead of three? You're picking at a nit. I only proffered the link as an example of an operation that would be similar to your Speedy Buffet concept, not as evidence that your idea was already well-known to exist.
-- jurist, Aug 24 2004


I was hoping this idea was about hiring Jimmy Buffet to parachute out of a jet directly to your party in order to sing Margaritaville. Alas, what a cruel world, it was only about food.
-- destructionism, Aug 25 2004



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