Duff’s Smorgasbord – What Happened to Them?

Duff’s Smorgasbord; Where Did They Go?

America’s love affair with buffet restaurants goes way back and their history would not be complete without mentioning Duff’s Smorgasbord!

Please leave your comments in the “Leave a Reply” section at the bottom of this page

OK, What Was So Special?

Not only could you go to Duff’s Smorgasbord for great food, but it came to you on a conveyor belt!

That’s right, you could stand in one place while the food came to you, offering an experience like no other.

You were immersed in a whirlwind of culinary delights, where dishes from various cuisines would glide past your eager gaze.

Customers would have a “Slot” where they stood in place and watched the circular conveyor belt bring the food that never stopped coming, with each rotation delivering new and exciting options to try.

The atmosphere buzzed with laughter and chatter as friends and families, fueled by a questionable amount of dessert, enthusiastically debated whether the brisket was actually from a cow or some sort of mythical creature, creating a communal dining experience that was delightfully chaotic and far from boring.

Whether you craved savory entrées or delectable desserts, Duff’s had something for everyone, making it a beloved destination for food lovers eager for variety and fun! Great selections!

Fun Fact: Many customers referred to Duff’s as “Stuff’s” for obvious reasons, lol

Duff’s Smorgasbord: Ice Cream Too!

Any fan of Duff’s Smorgasbord recalls that not only did they have great food, they also had an awesome ice cream machine! Sorry McDonald’s but Duff’s ice cream machine actually worked lol!

Fun Fact: Duff’s Fried Chicken was pressure fried for the ultimate crispiness on the outside and succulent juiciness on the inside

Friday Was Shrimp Day in Tampa,FL

If you grew up in Tampa, Florida like me, you’d remember Shrimp Day at Duff’s every Friday. Ah, so many great memories! I definitely left there stuffed to capacity!

Fun Fact: Duff’s would serve their drinks in a mason jar. What a nice touch!

Let Us Know Your Memories

Do you remember Duff’s Smorgasbord? Let us know in the “Leave a Reply” section at the bottom of the page. What city was your Duff’s in? We’d love to hear your memories!

The chain originated in Ohio and, at its peak, grew to include about 150 restaurants nationwide before the business was sold in 1983

We all remember proclaiming “Let’s get stuffed at Duff’s!

Duff’s Smorgasbord: What Happened to Them?

It’s really not a mystery that changing times and lackluster management killed a lot of restaurant chains in America.

When owner Don Dollar died, the new management ran Duff’s into the ground. Pretty sad

ONE LEFT!

Today, only one location remains open, operating as Duff’s Buffet, in Clearwater, Florida

11 responses to “Duff’s Smorgasbord – What Happened to Them?”

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Dave

April 28, 2024

Wow, what memories this brought back! We’re from the St. Louis area, and hadn’t heard of Duff’s until we visited Tampa in early 1979.
We stayed at a hotel on Kennedy, and if I recall correctly, the Duff’s we visited was on Dale Mabry.
We enjoyed meals there on a couple of occasions during our stay there…still remember it very fondly!
This brought back other fond memories of our stay in Tampa…attending a wrestling card at the Armory and a TV taping of Championship Wrestling from Florida, a chain of hot dog restaurants (maybe called Mel’s?), several visits to a Steak ‘n Shake restaurant, shopping at a department store (Maas?).
Thanks!

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1. Larry Apsey
  
  April 29, 2024
  
  Wow, I was blown away when I saw the ducks name as I cruised Facebook.! I managed, and I was a star by the way of the management team a in Melbourne Florida on the East Coast near Cape Canaveral. My experience was bittersweet as I left a Samos restaurant as manager on NASA Boulevard to go to as he hired me away right in my own restaurant as I went to employment things went really well and it was a lot of fun working. Loved the conveyor belt and the food was fresh. I can attest to that, and suddenly the restaurant wanted me in Clinton North Carolina to open a death there. I gladly went. I totally enjoyed the experience the salary that was promised was quite good for the times and so I packed up my and moved to Clinton North Carolina went there. I found out that , they weren’t gonna open the restaurant there and that they hoped I had a nice life Unfortunately, I had to seek legal address made me quite sad to have to sue them and all I got in return was a paid for move back to Melbourne Florida and I wasn’t really from Melbourne. I was from Tampa so I went back to Tampa and started all over again, and I don’t remember what happened to the dubs in Tampa but if he was closing down restaurants, I’m sure that that might have been a victim, but I still love the concept love the food that they delivered and the ice cream was one of the biggest hit because even kids got to use it and they made a mess for sure ha ha! Anybody reading this I hope you had the pleasure of dining at duffs because they were really really good!
  
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  1. Eric James Hartman
    
    April 29, 2024
    
    Thank you for your wonderful comments!
    
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Christopher

June 29, 2024

I’m eating Duff’s right now. Last location left in the world; Clearwater,FL

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Rick Hainline

January 7, 2025

Late 1980’s ate at duff’s several times. It was in Piqua Ohio. My dad who worked For IH in Fort Wayne Indiana Finished his 30 years In Springfield Ohio IH/Navistar plant. So every other weekend we would go down to Urbana Oh and spend the weekend. When we did we would eat at Duff’s on the way back home.

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1. Sandra Steg
  
  March 8, 2025
  
  Oh yes i remember cuz i worked on the training crew and would travel all overbthe united states opening up new stores for duffs and training the employees in the kitchen on how to run the place i loved my job
  
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Jill

August 30, 2026

My Mother was hostess at Duffs in Wichita FallsTx Help me remember where it was located. I think on Kemp St. it was so delicious Why did it close??

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1. Eric James Hartman
  
  August 30, 2026
  
  Duff’s Smorgasbord grew to over 150 locations by the 1980s with its famous patented rotating circular buffet. The chain declined due to corporate bankruptcies, changing dining trends, and increased competition in the 1990s. Most locations eventually closed, though a single independent restaurant named Duff’s Buffet still operates in Clearwater, Florida
  
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= Tressa Bailey

September 8, 2026

I remember eating at Duffs when I was a small child. It was located East of Kansas City. Because I was so young, I’m guessing that it was somewhere between Independence and Blue Springs MO but it was very memorable. They had the best food and I remember being enthralled by the buffet moving past us. I thought it was so neat. Really miss the food. My family only got to go there a few times before we moved and they closed.

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