Bishop's Buffet
| Private | |
| ISIN | 🆔 |
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Genre | Cafeteria |
| Fate | Ceased operations |
| Founded 📆 | August 1920 |
| Founder 👔 | Benjamin Franklin Bishop |
| Defunct | June 18, 2012 |
| Headquarters 🏙️ | , |
Number of locations | 35 (peak) |
Area served 🗺️ | Midwestern United States |
| Members | |
Number of employees | |
| Parent | Kmart (1983–1988) Furr's/Bishop's Inc. (1988–2012) |
| 🌐 Website | [Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 665: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). ] |
| 📇 Address | |
| 📞 telephone | |
Bishop's Buffet was a chain of cafeteria-style restaurants in the Midwestern United States. Founded in 1920 by Benjamin Franklin Bishop in Waterloo, Iowa, the company expanded to 35 locations across seven states, transitioning from downtown districts to shopping malls during the mid-20th century.[1]</ref> The chain was noted for its "chocolate ambrosia pie" and remained in operation until its final locations closed in June 2012.[2][3]
History
Origins and expansion
History
Origins and expansion
Benjamin Franklin Bishop (1873–1928) opened the first Bishop's Cafeteria in the Ellis Hotel in downtown Waterloo, Iowa, in August 1920.[1] Following early success, the business expanded as the Bishop-Stoddard Cafeteria Company, establishing locations in downtown Des Moines and Dubuque.[2][1]
As consumer habits shifted in the 1950s-1960s, Bishop's expanded into suburban shopping malls. Key locations included Merle Hay Plaza in Des Moines and Westroads Shopping Center in Omaha. By the mid-1970s, the company had further expanded its Illinois footprint, opening a location at Market Place Shopping Center in Champaign in August 1976.[4] By the late 1980s, the chain comprised 35 units in the Midwest.[1]
Corporate ownership and closure
In 1983, Kmart Corporation acquired Bishop's Buffet to complement its earlier acquisition of Furr's Cafeterias.[5][1]
By 2010, the chain had reduced its footprint significantly. The Kennedy Mall location in Dubuque closed on January 3, 2012, after 40 years of operation.[3] The final operating Bishop's Buffet, located at SouthPark Mall in Moline, Illinois, closed permanently on June 18, 2012.[3]
Menu
Bishop's Buffet operated as a cafeteria where customers selected food from a serving line.[3] The menu featured traditional American comfort food, including fried chicken, roast beef, and ham. The chain's desserts were a focal point of its menu, specifically the "chocolate ambrosia pie," which food historian Darcy Dougherty Maulsby describes as a signature dish of the restaurant.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Bishop's Buffet". Encyclopedia Dubuque. Carnegie-Stout Public Library. April 2, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Maulsby, Darcy Dougherty (2020). Classic Restaurants of Des Moines and Their Recipes. The History Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-1-4671-4545-9. Search this book on
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Bishop's closed to business June 18". WQAD News 8. TEGNA Inc. June 18, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
- ↑ "Bishop's Buffet". The Courier. Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. August 3, 1976. p. 3. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
- ↑ "K Mart to Buy Cafeteria Chain". The New York Times. February 2, 1983. p. D4.
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