BC Ferries is seeking public feedback on a replacement for its beleaguered all-you-can-eat Pacific Buffet, which is sailing into the sunset for good.
The company confirmed Tuesday it will no longer offer the famed service on sailings between Tsawwassen in the Lower Mainland and Swartz Bay in Victoria, noting that it has always operated at a significant financial loss.
“Pre-pandemic, the buffet required seven staff members per sailing, or more than 80 crew in total and lost approximately $1.2 million annually,” it said in a news 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 Pacific Buffet closed for health and safety reasons during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the last year it operated, BC Ferries said it attracted less than nine per cent of close to 5 million passengers who sailed between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay.
Between April 1, 2019, and Feb. 29, 2020, a little over 432,000 passengers ate at the Pacific Buffet — 9.2 per cent of all Spirit of Vancouver Island passengers, 8.9 per cent of all Spirit of British Columbia passengers, and 8.3 per cent of all Coastal Celebration passengers.
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“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 BC Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez in the release.
“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.”
BC Ferries has launched a 12-question online survey to collect rider input on services that could replace the buffet. It will be open for three weeks.
The survey asks participants about what dining services they have previously used on Tsawwassen-to-Swartz Bay sailings, what kinds of food they’d be most interested in if a new option were created, how they would like that option to be priced, and what kind of atmosphere they would enjoy most.
BC Ferries said it has previously explored ideas such as a sports bar, an on-board casino, a private reception space, as well as gym and spa services, but none were feasible for a variety of reasons, including regulatory and financial.
As it examines other options, the company said the buffet dining room will remain open as an additional seating option, and food and drink will continue to be available in the Coastal Café, Seawest Lounge and Arbutus Coffee Bar through the peak summer season.
BC Ferries said it has not yet decided on the future of the Vista Buffet on the Port Hardy-to-Prince Rupert Northern Expedition, but the service’s suspension will continue for now.
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