It's been more than a year since food lovers have been able to load up their plates at Nottingham's Asian buffet restaurant May Sum.
When the restaurant, in Upper Parliament Street, came out of the first lockdown last July, it changed from a self-service all-you-can-eat buffet to full table service.
Customers weren't allowed to get up from their seats and had to tell staff which dishes they wanted on the plate.
And even though it was a fraction of the usual price, guests complained about the changes.
Spokeswoman Kim Ly said: "It was half price for the same meal but a lot of people weren't happy."
Today as restaurants were allowed to welcome customers back inside for the first time since November, the buffet counter was fully operational so customers could help themselves.
A one-way system with social distancing is in operation and customers must wear their mask when they leave the table and put on disposable gloves supplied by the restaurant before filling their plates.
"We just want to make the customers happy and to make it safe for everybody," she added.
Soups, starters, main courses, salads and desserts make up the serve-yourself options for the Cantonese, Thai, Japanese and Malaysian cuisine.
Eager customers were waiting outside in the rain before the restaurants opened its doors at noon.
