The Shady Maple Smorgasbord is a buffet restaurant located in East Earl, Pennsylvania. It is the largest buffet in North America.
History
The Shady Maple began as a farm stand run by the Martin family. The name came from its location in the shade of a large maple tree. The farm stand evolved under the next generation of family ownership into a small IGA, Inc. supermarket by 1970. A cafeteria with seating for 100 was added to the supermarket in 1982. This was later expanded into a Smorgasbord (buffet) with 300 seats. Subsequent expansions saw it moved to its own building and seating expanded to 1,200.[1]
Food
The Shady Maple primarily serves the cuisine of the Pennsylvania Dutch. It serves three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.[2]