What began back in the 1970s had its unceremonious end in 2020, but it only Tuesday, June 6.
BC Ferries has put its all-you-can-eat-Pacific Buffett dining option in permanent dry dock.
The popular dining option was available on select BC Ferries vessels. From April 2019 to February 2020, the Pacific Buffet served about 9 per cent of the passengers aboard the Spirit of Vancouver Island, Spirit of British Columbia, and Coastal Celebration on the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route.
BC Ferries put the Pacific Buffet on pause in March 2020 due to the onset of the pandemic and related health and safety guidelines. In the ensuing years, staffing woes and rising costs put any return for the dining option in jeopardy.
Pre-pandemic, the buffet required seven staff members per sailing, or more than 80 crew in total and lost approximately $1.2 million annually, explains BC Ferries in a June 6 media release. Price modelling found the buffet would continue to lose money even with a price hike of up to 30 per cent due to the increased costs of food and labour.
“The food industry has been significantly challenged by the pandemic; fewer food suppliers, supply chain unreliability, new attitudes about food safety and waste as well as record high food costs have forced all businesses to rethink their strategies,” said Nicolas Jimenez, BC Ferries CEO.
And so, they made it official: We are never, ever getting back together with the Pacific Buffet. (Like, ever.)
BC Ferries' new CEO is keenly aware that the Buffet's many loyal fans will be heartbroken.
“I know the hard decision to permanently close our buffets will be disappointing to those who used and loved them but the timing is right to re-think the space based on what our customers tell us," said Jimenez.
Have your say: What should BC Ferries replace the Pacific Buffet with?
To determine what BC Ferries passengers would like to see replace the Pacific Buffet, its offering a survey open for the next three weeks.
Based on travellers’ feedback a new, more sustainable, offering is expected to be introduced to customers this fall, explains BC Ferries.
The Pacific Buffet was initiated in the 1970s as a way to bridge the revenue loss from BC Ferries' white tablecloth dining rooms and its new chapter offering cafeteria-style food service. Initially, the buffet was just for cold items, but in 1979 hot food was added.
BC Ferries touts that the Pacific Buffet was enjoyed by a number of celebs, from singer Sarah McLachlan to Law & Order: SVU star and rapper Ice T.
In the past, BC Ferries has mulled options like using the Pacific Buffet space for a gym or sports bar.
While enjoying the Pacific Buffet as many know and love it is no longer an option between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island, BC Ferries hasn't made the call yet on its Vista Buffet service on the Northern Expedition, which travels between Prince Rupert and Port Hardy. That service will remain suspended while BC Ferries makes a decision on what to do next on that route. It's the longest route served by BC Ferries and "provides a different travel experience for customers," acknowledges the corporation.
