Beldon Katleman

Beldon Katleman (1914 – 1988) was a casino owner who is widely credited with the first Las Vegas all-you-can-eat buffet. From the late 1940s until it was destroyed by a fire in 1960, he owned and operated El Rancho Vegas, Las Vegas' first resort hotel and casino. In an effort to keep patrons in his casino, Katleman came up with the idea of the $1 Midnight Chuck Wagon Buffet in 1947. [http://govegas.about.com/od/conventions/a/lvcrest.htm] [http://www.a2zlasvegas.com/food/food.html] This buffet was the predecessor to the sumptuous buffets now found in virtually every Las Vegas hotel.