The Wire

News and dispatches from the world of all-you-can-eat dining.

September 27, 2026

Madison, Wisconsin’s Hot Pot 608 Gives Way to Szechuan Garden in the Same University Avenue Space

City records reveal the AYCE hot-pot restaurant was already licensed under a Szechuan Garden company name.

Szechuan Garden has opened in the former Hot Pot 608 space on University Avenue in Madison. City licensing records point to a deeper connection between the two names, making the change look more like a concept conversion than an unrelated replacement.

September 27, 2026

KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot Moves Closer to Opening in Colorado Springs

Liquor approval and hiring add momentum at the former On The Border on North Academy Boulevard.

KPOT is advancing its first Colorado Springs restaurant at the former On The Border on North Academy Boulevard, with city liquor approval secured, hiring underway and the chain still listing the AYCE Korean BBQ and hot pot location as coming soon.

September 27, 2026

Golden Corral’s Buffet Math Comes Down to 15-Minute Forecasts and Menu Engineering

New reporting offers a rare look at the economics behind abundance, waste control and expensive proteins.

Golden Corral has opened a window into the economics behind the endless buffet, from 15-minute production forecasts and beverage sales to lower-cost protein alternatives — just as all-you-can-eat promotions are proliferating across major restaurant chains.

September 27, 2026

Ginza SI, a $33.95 AYCE Sushi Restaurant on Staten Island, Has Closed

The Bulls Head restaurant opened in 2024 in a space with a long Japanese-dining history.

Ginza SI has closed in Staten Island’s Bulls Head neighborhood after roughly two and a half years. The restaurant’s $33.95 all-you-can-eat sushi option makes the closure a direct loss to the borough’s AYCE dining landscape.

September 27, 2026

Café Sierra Will Become MERiNE at Hilton Universal City, California on October 1

The long-running seafood buffet promises continuity in abundance while reworking its design and culinary identity.

Café Sierra at Hilton Universal City will become MERiNE on October 1, preserving the restaurant’s emphasis on abundant seafood while introducing a redesigned setting and updated culinary direction. The exact post-transition buffet format has not yet been detailed.

September 26, 2026

Golden Corral in Brownsville, Texas Closes Permanently After 35 Years

The restaurant stopped operating Sept. 14 after a planned renovation ran into a steep rent increase.

Brownsville’s Golden Corral has permanently closed after about 35 years. Franchisee Gaspar Hernandez says the restaurant actually stopped operating Sept. 14, as rent was set to rise from $17,500 to $31,000 per month.