Old Country Buffet
Former American all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant chain.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Old Country Buffet was an American all-you-can-eat restaurant brand built around broad buffet meals intended to serve families and other value-oriented diners. The chain belonged to the larger Buffets, Inc. restaurant portfolio, which also included HomeTown Buffet, Ryan's, Fire Mountain Grill, Furr's, Tahoe Joe's Famous Steakhouse, and other concepts at different points in the group's history. Its offering was associated with buffet stations containing familiar American comfort foods, hot entrees, side dishes, soups, salads, desserts, beverages, and, in some locations or related concepts, steak and grilled items. The brand's precise founding date and original founder are not established in the supplied reference material. Its development was closely connected to the history of Buffets, Inc., a restaurant operator founded in 1983 by Roe Hatlen, C. Dennis Scott, Dermot Rowland, and Doron Jensen. Rowland and Jensen later departed to establish Homestyle Buffet, while Scott went on to start HomeTown Buffet. Old Country Buffet and HomeTown Buffet eventually became linked through a September 1996 merger, and some restaurants changed from one name to the other. This relationship made Old Country Buffet part of a broader national buffet platform rather than an isolated restaurant concept. During its expansion period, Old Country Buffet became one of the largest buffet names in the United States. The wider portfolio grew through company-operated restaurants, acquisitions, and the addition of other buffet and steakhouse brands. In the late 1990s, Buffets, Inc. operated hundreds of restaurants and recorded substantial revenue, although those financial results applied to the parent company rather than specifically to Old Country Buffet. On November 1, 2006, Buffets, Inc. acquired Ryan's Restaurant Group, adding hundreds of Ryan's Grill Buffet and Bakery and Fire Mountain Grill locations and increasing the scale of the group in the South and Midwest. The chain's later history was marked by repeated financial distress. Buffets, Inc. entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January 2008 and immediately announced the closure of 52 restaurants. It emerged from reorganization in April 2009 with reduced debt and a new board. A second Chapter 11 filing followed in January 2012, involving the closure of 81 restaurants and a restructuring that gave lenders a controlling equity position. The business was subsequently associated with Ovation Brands and later with entities connected to Food Management Partners and VitaNova Brands. In August 2015, Buffets LLC acquired Old Country Buffet and several related restaurant brands, including HomeTown Buffet, Ryan's, Fire Mountain, and Tahoe Joe's. Ovation Brands filed for Chapter 11 in March 2016 after additional closures and a dispute involving a landlord. Court documents cited in the reference material reported approximately $186.3 million in liabilities and $160.2 million in assets for the filing, figures relating to the company rather than the Old Country Buffet brand itself. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the brand's decline because buffet service was especially difficult to operate under public-health restrictions. The group's buffet restaurants closed in March 2020. Five locations reportedly reopened during the summer under the alternative name AYCE Marketplaces, but the Old Country Buffet, HomeTown Buffet, and Ryan's locations were reported permanently closed by January 15, 2021. The related operating entities filed for Chapter 11 again on April 20, 2021. The brand's intellectual property was sold together with other restaurant brands in the bankruptcy process, and the new owners indicated that they did not intend to reopen Old Country Buffet restaurants. Old Country Buffet is therefore treated as a defunct restaurant brand, despite its historical recognition and former nationwide footprint of more than 600 locations.
History
Old Country Buffet formed part of the large American buffet-restaurant sector that expanded by offering extensive food variety at a fixed price. The supplied sources do not establish a separate founding event for the brand, but they place its corporate history within Buffets, Inc., founded on October 19, 1983, by Roe Hatlen, C. Dennis Scott, Dermot Rowland, and Doron Jensen. Rowland and Jensen left in 1986 to launch Homestyle Buffet in Florida. Scott departed in 1989 to establish HomeTown Buffet, and the two businesses later merged in September 1996. That merger connected Old Country Buffet and HomeTown Buffet operationally, and some restaurants were rebranded between the two names. The broader Buffets, Inc. system expanded substantially during the 1990s. By 1997 and 1998, the company reported net income of $28.6 million and $39.4 million, respectively, on revenues of $808.5 million and $868.9 million. Those figures describe the parent operator and are not attributable solely to Old Country Buffet. The company increased its company-owned restaurant count from 360 to 386 in 1998 and acquired 11 restaurants from Country Harvest Buffet Restaurants for $5.6 million. These developments illustrate the consolidation and scale-building strategy behind the brand's national presence. On November 1, 2006, Buffets, Inc. acquired Ryan's Restaurant Group. The transaction added approximately 340 Ryan's Grill Buffet and Bakery and Fire Mountain Grill locations, expanding the group's geographic reach and giving it a larger collection of buffet and steak-oriented concepts. Old Country Buffet operated within this multi-brand structure, sharing the parent company's exposure to changing consumer preferences, labor and food costs, site economics, and the operational challenges of large-format buffet restaurants. Financial restructuring became a defining feature of the later history. Buffets, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 on January 22, 2008. Although the restaurants were initially expected to remain open, 52 locations were closed effective February 12. The company emerged on April 28, 2009, with lower debt and a new board. A further Chapter 11 filing occurred on January 18, 2012. That proceeding involved the immediate closure of 81 restaurants and a recapitalization that converted debt into a controlling equity stake for lenders. The operator later used the Ovation Brands name and continued to manage Old Country Buffet and other concepts. In August 2015, Buffets LLC, an affiliate of Food Management Partners, acquired Old Country Buffet, HomeTown Buffet, Ryan's, Fire Mountain, and Tahoe Joe's. Ovation Brands filed for Chapter 11 on March 7, 2016, after additional location closures and litigation by a landlord. The reference material states that the filing was connected in part to a lawsuit that had not been disclosed when the businesses were purchased; the cited court figures listed $186.3 million in liabilities and $160.2 million in assets. The COVID-19 pandemic created a particularly severe operating problem for buffet restaurants. All of the group's buffet-style restaurants closed in March 2020. Five locations reopened during the summer as AYCE Marketplaces, an attempt to adapt the format, but the Old Country Buffet, HomeTown Buffet, and Ryan's Buffet locations were reported permanently closed by January 15, 2021. On April 20, 2021, Buffets LLC and Fresh Acquisitions LLC filed for Chapter 11. During the bankruptcy process, the brand's intellectual property was sold with other restaurant intellectual property. The new owners reportedly expressed no interest in reopening locations, ending Old Country Buffet's active restaurant operations. The brand once had more than 600 restaurants, but it is now a defunct name with no reported operating locations.
- 2021
Permanent closure of reported Old Country Buffet locations
[1]By January 15, all reported Old Country Buffet locations had permanently closed.
- 2021
Final cited bankruptcy filing
[1]Buffets LLC and Fresh Acquisitions LLC filed for Chapter 11 on April 20.
- 2020
Pandemic closures and AYCE Marketplaces test
[1]Buffet restaurants closed in March; five locations later reopened under the AYCE Marketplaces name.
- 2016
Ovation Brands files for bankruptcy
[1]The operator sought Chapter 11 protection after more closures and landlord litigation.
- 2015
Buffets LLC acquires the brand portfolio
[1]Buffets LLC acquired Old Country Buffet and several related restaurant brands in August.
- 2012
Second Chapter 11 filing
[1]The operator closed 81 restaurants and recapitalized through a debt-for-equity arrangement.
- 2009
Emergence from Chapter 11
[1]The company completed its first cited reorganization with lower debt and a new board.
- 2008
First Chapter 11 restructuring
[1]Buffets, Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection and closed 52 restaurants during the reorganization.
- 2006
Ryan's Restaurant Group is acquired
[1]The November 1 acquisition added roughly 340 Ryan's and Fire Mountain locations to the corporate portfolio.
- 1998
Parent company expands its company-owned restaurant base
[1]Buffets, Inc. increased company-owned restaurants from 360 to 386 and acquired 11 Country Harvest Buffet establishments.
Products and positioning
A family-oriented, value-focused American buffet chain offering broad variety and unlimited servings in a casual dining environment.
Buffet restaurant
Old Country Buffet all-you-can-eat buffet
The core offering was a fixed-price, all-you-can-eat American buffet designed around variety and family value. Typical service included hot entrees, side dishes, soups, salads, desserts, and beverages, allowing customers to assemble multiple courses from self-service stations. The format emphasized breadth and convenience rather than a single signature dish.
Food service
Buffet meal stations
The restaurant format used multiple stations to present familiar American comfort foods, salads, desserts, and drinks. Depending on the location and the broader portfolio's operating model, the assortment could also include steak, chops, grilled seafood, or other made-to-order and prepared items. Specific menus varied by restaurant and period.
Controversies
2021
Paycheck Protection Program loan misuse allegations involving related owners
A bankruptcy trustee lawsuit reportedly alleged that Jason Kemp, Allen Jones, Lawrence Harris, and Brian Padilla diverted approximately $13 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans. The allegations concern individuals and related entities connected with the brand's ownership structure; the supplied material does not establish an adjudicated finding against Old Country Buffet as a standalone brand.
Brand decisions
2021
Final cited bankruptcy proceedingsOtherBackground
The pandemic closures and prolonged financial problems left the related operating entities unable to sustain the buffet portfolio.
Action taken
Buffets LLC and Fresh Acquisitions LLC filed for Chapter 11 on April 20, while the related intellectual property was sold in the bankruptcy process.
Aftermath
The new owners reportedly did not plan to reopen Old Country Buffet restaurants, leaving the brand defunct.
2020
Temporary conversion to AYCE MarketplacesStrategyBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of buffet-style restaurants and challenged self-service dining.
Action taken
Five locations reportedly reopened during the summer under the AYCE Marketplaces name.
Aftermath
The experiment did not lead to the restoration of the Old Country Buffet network, which was reported permanently closed by January 2021.
2012
Second bankruptcy recapitalizationStrategyBackground
The operator again sought protection from creditors after ongoing financial difficulties.
Action taken
Buffets, Inc. filed Chapter 11, closed 81 restaurants, and pursued a debt-to-equity recapitalization that gave lenders controlling ownership.
Aftermath
The restructuring reduced the restaurant footprint but did not prevent later ownership changes and another bankruptcy cycle.
2008
First Chapter 11 restructuringOtherBackground
Buffets, Inc. faced financial pressure across its restaurant portfolio.
Action taken
The company filed for Chapter 11 and announced the closure of 52 restaurants.
Aftermath
The parent company continued operating the remaining restaurants and emerged from reorganization in 2009 with reduced debt.
2006
Acquisition of Ryan's Restaurant GroupM&ABackground
Buffets, Inc. was expanding a multi-brand buffet and steakhouse platform around Old Country Buffet and related concepts.
Action taken
The company acquired Ryan's Restaurant Group, adding approximately 340 Ryan's Grill Buffet and Bakery and Fire Mountain Grill locations.
Aftermath
The transaction broadened the parent company's geographic reach and increased the scale of its buffet portfolio.
Sources1 sources
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