Land O’ Lakes newest restaurant — Imperial Buffet in the Village Lakes Shopping Center — is one of the best dining values in town.
In addition to more than 100 traditional Chinese buffet items made fresh every morning, it also offers unlimited Japanese sushi and sashimi, plus a hibachi grill on the buffet line or at your table.
“Only Imperial Buffet gives customers sushi and hibachi at no additional cost,” said Vivian Zhang, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Tony.
At $7.99 for lunch, and $12.99 after 3:30 p.m., dining at Imperial Buffet is a tremendous value. Plus, discounts up to 10% are given to military and church groups. Lunch and dinner for seniors, 65 and over, cost $6.99 and $10.99 respectively.
“You can eat at our restaurant for less money than many fast food chains,” adds Vivian. “Our service is very fast, and buffet lines are always ready to go. We like to say that we’re faster than fast food!”
Kids also love Imperial Buffet because it offers their favorite foods — pizza, chicken nuggets, cream cheese wontons, french fries, ice cream, fried bananas and sugar donuts. And parents love the discounted kids pricing, which begins at $2.99 for ages 3-5, $4.99 for ages 6-8 and $6.99 for ages 9-11. Children under 3 are free.
The story behind Imperial Buffet began last fall when Vivian and Tony bought another Chinese restaurant at the same location.
The couple, which has worked in the restaurant business for more than 20 years, spent three months completely renovating the 7,700 sq. ft. restaurant. They invested $400,000 to create a beautiful, open floor plan with new flooring, walls and interior décor.
Imperial Buffet reopened in January, and area residents have been flocking to the restaurant ever since. Once guests come for the first time, they almost always return because of the excellent food and service, and incredibly low prices.
The restaurant seats 200 in a spacious combination of booths and tables. There is a separate dining room that accommodates 90 that is perfect for private gatherings and community groups.
Vivian and Tony came to the U.S. from southern China 20 years ago. They settled in New York City, and learned the art of cooking and restaurant management. They moved to Florida five years ago, and opened restaurants in Miami, Palm Beach and Tampa before opening Imperial Buffet in Land O’ Lakes.
Tony is the master chef and sets exceptionally high standards for his team, who arrive early every morning to prepare food from scratch, using only the freshest ingredients.
“Tony has very strict management — everything has to be perfect,’ said Vivian, who manages servers and greets guests. We love what we do and enjoy giving our customers the great food at great prices.”
21627 Village Lakes Shopping Center Dr., • Land O’Lakes, FL 34639 • 813-909-6055
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