Freebies: Thousands flock to Mandarin’s Free Canada Day Buffet

So, what did you do on Canada Day? Well, if you’re like more than one thousand people in Pickering, Ont., you spent much of it waiting in line at Mandarin’s Kingston Road location.

To thank Canadians for their loyal patronage over the last 30 years, popular buffet restaurant Mandarin offered up free—that’s right, FREE—all you can eat meals to its customers on July 1, 2009. The Thank You Canada event was held across the chain’s 21 Ontario locations beginning at 12 p.m. and continuing until the last seating at 8:30 p.m. The opportunity was offered on a first come, first serve basis only. No reservations.

Well I can’t resist a great deal, so at 3 p.m. I headed to Pickering thinking that any swarms should have eased up a bit. Not a chance. While turning into the parking lot, I could see the line of people winding all the way down the shopping centre. I was warned earlier, by family in Markham, that customers waiting at Mandarin’s recently opened Box Grove restaurant had pitched tents in the parking lot. However, I was pretty sure my fellow bargain hunting Pickering residents (Pickeringers?) weren’t that fanatical. Clearly, I had underestimated their passion for free food.

Here’s a live shot of the scene. (Note: I’ll work on my cinematography)

Needless to say, I wasn't up to joining that line... this time; I was already sort of hungry when I left the house. But for those who decided to brave it, Mandarin thoughtfully handed out bottled water and other refreshments to keep patrons (and I'm sure tempers) cool and comfortable. "People were waiting for many hours," says Tina Chiu, Mandarin's spokesperson and chief operating officer. We wanted to give them "a little snack before they came in and enjoyed the buffet."

So how early did people start lining up for this incredible deal? “A few came the night before,” says Chiu. “I heard as early as 10:30 p.m.” She estimates that on Wednesday more than 30,000 customers were served, company-wide. Dining at the restaurant typically costs from $11.99 to $23.99 depending on the day of the week and whether you’re there for lunch or dinner. In total, Mandarin says it spent about $500,000 treating guests to the complimentary buffet meal. Soft drinks, tea and coffee were all on the house, too.

I’ll keep you posted on whether Mandarin plans on doing this again soon. Get your sleeping bags ready.

|Images and Video: The Discount Diva|