Bishop's Buffet
| Formerly | Bishop's Cafeteria |
|---|---|
| Type | Restaurant chain |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Genre | Cafeteria |
| Founded | 1920 |
| Founder | Benjamin Franklin Bishop |
| Defunct | June 18, 2012 |
| Fate | Closed |
Number of locations | 35 (1986) |
Area served | Midwestern United States |
Bishop's Buffet, originally known as Bishop's Cafeteria, was an American chain of cafeteria-style restaurants in the Midwestern United States. Benjamin Franklin Bishop opened the first restaurant in Waterloo, Iowa, in 1920. The business grew to more than 30 restaurants in seven states and had 35 locations by the mid-1980s.[1][2] Kmart bought Bishop's in 1983 and later sold it with Furr's Cafeterias. A remaining Bishop's at SouthPark Mall in Moline, Illinois, closed in June 2012.[3]
History
Bishop established the first Bishop's Cafeteria in Waterloo in 1920. The chain reached Sioux City, Iowa, in 1925, when a 200-seat restaurant opened at 516 Pierce Street. It moved to the larger Commerce Building in 1930, and another Sioux City branch opened at Southern Hills Mall in 1980.[1] The downtown Sioux City restaurant closed in 1984; Bishop Buffets president Edward C. Bartz said that replacing its worn equipment would not justify the investment. At the time, the company operated more than 30 restaurants across a seven-state region.[1]
Kmart acquired the Iowa-based chain for $28 million in 1983.[4] It operated Bishop's separately from Furr's, another cafeteria chain that Kmart owned. By November 1986, Kmart had 35 Bishop's restaurants in the Midwest and 133 Furr's restaurants elsewhere in the United States.[2] Kmart agreed that month to sell the two chains to Cavalcade Holdings for $237.5 million,[5] and completed the sale in January 1988. The new owner organized them as Furr's/Bishop's Cafeterias L.P.; the partnership became a corporation in 1991 and was renamed Furr's Restaurant Group in 2000.[2]
The number of Bishop's restaurants declined as the combined company closed less productive locations. The Sioux City mall restaurant closed in 1997 with 43 employees.[1] By 2001, six Bishop's restaurants remained in Iowa and Illinois as part of a 92-restaurant Furr's group.[2] The SouthPark Mall restaurant in Moline closed on June 18, 2012.[3]
Service and menu
Bishop's used a cafeteria line where customers viewed and selected displayed dishes rather than ordering from printed menus, while staff provided service in the dining room.[1] The chain served American comfort food, and its desserts became especially associated with the brand. Retrospective coverage of the Sioux City restaurants highlighted custard, chocolate silk pie, corn fritters, and chocolate ambrosia pie.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Yamada, Caitlin (February 7, 2024). "Gone but not forgotten: Favorite Siouxland restaurants from years past". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved August 18, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Furr's Restaurant Group, Inc. History". International Directory of Company Histories. Vol. 53. St. James Press. 2003. Retrieved August 18, 2026 – via FundingUniverse.
- 1 2 "Bishop's closed to business June 18". WQAD-TV. June 18, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2026.
- ↑ "K Mart to Buy Cafeteria Chain". The New York Times. February 2, 1983. p. D4.
- ↑ "K mart agreed to sell its two cafeteria operations". Los Angeles Times. November 6, 1986. Retrieved August 18, 2026.