Is it legal to take food home from an all-you-can-eat buffet in Ohio? What the law says
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Buffets are full of the best food around. All-you-can-eat fried chicken, mac and cheese, meatloaf and more.
But be careful when you leave because packing up your food to-go is not really a thing.
Why not?
According to Marketplace writer Nancy Marshall-Genzer, there’s actually a lot that goes into buffet-style restaurants and probably the most important thing is determining the price per person.
Because, the bottom line is, if the plates aren’t priced right, buffets could be losing money. And if there’s no profit, buffets could soon be a thing of the past.
We don’t want that to happen, now do we?
How do buffets come up with their prices?
Typically, buffet-style restaurants have a set price for the “all-you-can-eat” plates and that price is based on three things:
How much each person will eat: buffets usually assume each customer will consume around one pound of food.
Average number of customers in a day
Daily food cost
After doing the math in each category, the buffet will set a price per person who will dine in. But note, that’s dining in, not take out.
So, what if you make your own plate to-go? Can you get in trouble for that?
Here’s what we know:
Can you get arrested for taking food home from an all-you-can-eat buffet in Ohio?
Well, not immediately.
While restaurants can ban you from coming back and refuse to serve you, they can’t have Ohio law enforcement arrest you for doing this on the spot.
However, they can press charges later on for stealing. In Ohio, theft laws make it illegal to steal in the following ways:
Without the consent of the owner or person authorized to give consent;
By intimidation;
By threat;
By deception; and
Beyond the scope of the express or implied consent of the owner or person authorized to give consent.
All violations result in a misdemeanor, but if the value stolen exceeds $1,000 (but is under $7,500), it is considered a felony of the fifth degree. From there, the charges go up depending on how much you steal.
So, if you thought you could take some home for tomorrow’s dinner, think again.
What other questions do you have? Let me know at cmadden@mcclatchy.com
This story was originally published November 11, 2024 at 5:02 AM with the headline "Is it legal to take food home from an all-you-can-eat buffet in Ohio? What the law says."
