In late 2025, a news story from Turkey made headlines. Hotel buffets were set to disappear the following year. The reason was the enormous amount of food waste in the country. The Turkish Presidential Council for Agricultural and Food Policy was exploring possible measures to combat food waste, and lavish breakfast spreads and open hotel buffets were among those scrutinized. IMAGE: Pexels

What happened to the planned ban on buffets?

Currently, there is no general ban on hotel buffets in Turkey. As of now, the proposed initiative under discussion has not resulted in corresponding nationwide legislation.

However, the underlying issue continues to concern the industry. In August 2026, Hakan Saatçıoğlu, president of the Turkish Association of Professional Hotel Managers (POYD), estimated that a single hotel with 1,000 guests wastes 200 to 220 kilograms (about six metric tons) of food per month. He is therefore calling for measures against food waste in the all-inclusive system to be enshrined in law. The debate continues.

Does the all-you-can-eat option have to go?

Based on our experience with the Green Pearls® network, we know that eliminating buffets isn’t that simple. Many guests expect a certain amount of variety and flexibility, especially at breakfast. That’s why many of our partners choose hybrid approaches, such as a small buffet with made-to-order egg dishes like waffles and scrambled eggs.

It all comes down to planning

Therefore, it is much more important how thoughtfully a hotel handles this than the question of whether or not to have a buffet. It starts with planning: How many guests are staying at the hotel? Who is currently staying there and what are their habits? Rather than setting out large platters, smaller portions can be restocked more frequently. Toward the end of breakfast service, there’s no need to restock the entire buffet; the team can simply ask remaining guests what they would like.

Hotel Luise in Erlangen is a great example of just how much of a difference this can make. The team there uses smaller serving plates and refills portions as needed. According to the hotel, this results in an average of just five grams of leftover food per guest per meal.

Therefore, eliminating the buffet isn’t the only way to reduce food waste. Above all, reducing food waste takes willpower, as well as planning, flexible processes, and good communication with guests.