Shady Maple Smorgasbord
The Shady Maple Smorgasbord is a buffet restaurant located in East Earl, Pennsylvania. It is the largest buffet in North America.
History
The Shady Maple began as a farm stand run by the Martin family. The name came from its location in the shade of a large maple tree. The farm stand evolved under the next generation of family ownership into a small IGA, Inc. supermarket by 1970. A cafeteria with seating for 100 was added to the supermarket in 1982. This was later expanded into a Smorgasbord with 300 seats. Subsequent expansions saw it moved to its own building and seating expanded to 1,200.Food
The Shady Maple primarily serves the cuisine of the Pennsylvania Dutch. It serves three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.Facility
The buffet is long, and together with the gift shop coverThe building also includes a gift shop and during elections serves as a polling place.