For the hotel industry, the situations having difficulties in management are becoming we planed by the rises of the cost and labor costs, the imbalance between supply and demand, stiffening competitions between the hotels. Therefore, there has been a plan for a great change to attract customers, escaping from the existing form of management in order to secure competitive powers in the food and beverage field. For that purpose, we plan to investigate into the preference of buffet restaurants in ten 5star hotels in Seoul. By the analysis, we also plan to present the menu concepts that stand out and are preferred by the customers in managing semi-buffet restaurants. Therefore, the linear and planar coordinate values of the H Hotels and I Hotels came out both positive(+) as results of a similarity analysis using MOS, we can predict that they would be positioning on the same dimension. Furthermore we can predict that the menu of antipasto, sushi, sashimi and desserts would be positioning on the same dimension as a result of analysis of the most preferred menu by customers for each station in managing a semi-buffet restaurant. Based on these results, there must be continuous supervision over the menu of buffet restaurants.

An eating behavior research was done with 50 females at a buffet styled restaurant during their lunch time. Of the respondents, 52.0% were professional and 54.0% were graduate school graduates. Of the respondents, 58.0% of the company were friends and 24.0% were relatives. The average time period of eating was 93.0±23.4 minutes. The average frequency of taking food was 4.0±1.1 and the average frequency of taking food after satiety was 1.4±0.8. It is significant that lower frequency of food consumption was directly proportional to the age groups of respondents. The average selected food items were 30.4±7.1 out of 175 and the average weight of the consumed food was 995.0±240.9 g. The older age group chose a similar number of food items, but the amount of each food item was considerably less than younger. So the younger the age group was, the more they ate. The average food items at one time was 7.1±2.2 and the average food weight time was 233.7±69.7 g. The percentage of respondents who evaluated themselves as 'ate too much' was 70.0% and those who evaluate themselves 'ate properly' was 14.0%. Most of them were satisfied with the buffet service. The average of number of food items consumed by respondents before cooking was 50.5±8.9. The consumption of calories and nutrients was compared with the Korean Daily Recommended Dietary Allowances. The consumed calories were 60.9% of RDAs, protein 104.4%, calcium 77.1%, iron 129.8%, vitamin A 66.5%, thiamin 96.0%, riboflavin 95.7%, niacin126.6% and ascorbic acid 112.3%. This data exceeded 1/3 of the Korean Daily RDAs tremendously and tells us extreme overeating. The energy ratio of carbohydrate: fat: protein was 51.6: 29.9: 18.5. Caloric consumption of animal food was 27.9% and the consumption rate of the other nutrients from animal food was considerably high. But the consumption rate of vitamin A was 90.9% from vegetable groups. Accoding to this study, buffet service gives some advantages. It gives customers an good opportunity to vary their food intake, which enhances eating experiences and can cause an improvemont of food habits. But overeating is a problem. Therefore, we think it is necessary for those women who have influence over their family's food selection, to have nutrition education about a desirable order of eating a meal, food selection, and health problems due to overeating at buffet styled restaurant. There should be some improvement in the management of buffet service. For example, proper temperature, texture, and freshness of the food should be maintained. Prevention of mixed food smells should be considered as well. To lower the price it is desirable to reduce the number of similar items and to use seasonal food as much as possible. A buffet styled restaurant with less food items with cheaper prices is recommended. Various traditional food should be developed for the menu items. We expect buffet services to be sutable to maintain good health and to be popular to any eater.

본 연구에서는 부페식당 이용자의 식생활 태도를 알아보기 위해 설문조사를 실시하였는데 결과는 다음과 같다. 1) 조사대상자의 일반환경 조사대상자의 연령은 6세부터 70세까지로 20대, 30대, 40대가 주를 이루었고, 여자가 65.1%로 여성들이 많이 찾는 조사대상 부페식당의 특색을 보였다. 직업은 가정주부가 27.2%, 사무직이 19.3%, 전문직이 17.3%였고, 학생이 30.3%였다. 2) 평소 부페음식에 대한 견해에 관한 조사 평소 부페식당 이용이 '한 주에 1~2회'가 1.6%, '한 달에 1~2회'가 13.7%, '서너달에 1~2회'가 43.9%, '일년에 1~2회'가 36.9%, '처음'이 2.7%였다. 대상자들은 부페음식에 대해 음식의 가지수가 많고 마음대로 선택할 수 있고 음식의 모양, 진열 및 정갈함, 많이 먹을 수 있는 점 등에 대해서는 좋다고 생각하는 반면, 음식을 가지러 왔다 갔다 하는 점, 가격 등에 대해서는 부정적인 반응을 보였다. 3) 부페식당에서의 식사행동 부페식당에 온 이유는 '가족파티'가 31.3%였고, 동행인은 평균 9.3±4.3명이며 주로 가족 및 친척, 직장 동료였다. 식사에 소요된 시간은 1시간 32분±26분이었고, 음식을 가져온 첫수는 평균 3.7±1.2회였으며, 최고 10회가 있었다. 만복감 후 식사첫수는 평균 1.2±0.8회였다. 부페식사시 가장 먼저 먹은 음식은 스프 23.9%, 샐러드 23.9%였는데, 여자는 스프, 샐러드의 비율이 높은 반면, 남자는 육류, 어패류의 비율이 높았으며, 음식 선택시 기준은 '내가 좋아하는 음식'이 70.7%로 가장 높게 나타나 부페식당 이용자들이 바람직한 식사순서 및 음식선택에 대한 인식이 낮음을 알 수 있었다. 부페식당에서 가장 좋아하는 음식의 국적은 54.4%가 한국음식으로 나타났다. 부페식사에서 '약간' 또는 ‘대단히 과식했다'고 응답한 경우가 64.0%로 많은 대상자들이 과식하는 것으로 나타났는데 이로 인한 건강 및 영양문제에 대한 교육이 필요하고 운영면에서는 이러한 일종의 음식의 낭비를 줄일 수 있는 방안에 대한 연구가 필요하다고 사료되었다. 5) 향후 부페식당의 발전방향에 대한 의견 부페식당의 발전방향에 대해 '가지수를 줄여서라도 가격을 짜게 하자'는 의견이 82.9%로 대부분 조사 대상자들이 현재 부페가격에 대해 부정적인 반응을 보였다. '한국음식을 더 많이 해서 전통음식과 친밀한 장소로 발전시키자', '계절식품을 이용하고 비슷한 종류의 음식은 빼서 가격을 낮추자', '연령에 따라서, 또, 성인에서는 성별에 따라 가격 차이를 두자'는 의견 등이 있었다.